“The parable says that when the women return to the circle, the fire burns brighter.
The stories get wilder. The future stretches. Possibility hums.
Some say that when the daughters return, the flame itself begins to dance.”
-Kim Carson
Brr! At the time of this writing, most of America is in the cold, with freezing temperatures reaching almost across the country. We’re reflecting on the goodness of our neighbors. We’re thinking about networks and support systems and perseverance. And we’re staying focused on our goal of building equitable systems in STEM education.
We’re also reflecting on 100 years of Black History Month – and on the centuries of Black History that founder Dr. Carter G. Woodson and his colleagues set out to uncover and illuminate. In the words of Dr. Woodson, Black History Month “inspires people to live more abundantly, to learn to begin with life as they find it and make it better.”
Our stories matter. So we’re especially delighted to share this blog from AI futurist, conceptual technologist, and former TBG board member Kim Carson.
This February, we see you around the fire: staying warm, checking in on your neighbors, and sharing your stories and your light.
The Techbridge Team
Bridge Building: How can I bring Techbridge Girls to my school or community center?
Deadline Extended: A don’t-miss opportunity for STEM educators and leaders!
Registration for our spring STEM Learning Community and for on-site program facilitation has been extended. If you are a program manager, administrator, or site director for out-of-school-time STEM learning, we welcome you to join us to explore how our own experiences can help us to create equitable learning spaces for all children. Reach out now to program-managers@techbridgegirls.org to find out more.
The new deadline is Feb 9th, 2026. This session is offered at NO COST to all participants.
NEW! AI Identity to Impact Learning Institute
Registration for our AI Identity to Impact Learning Institute is now OPEN! Registration information is available here. If you are an out-of-school time educator, program manager, or administrator working with Black, Latina, and Indigenous girls and gender-expansive youth, we welcome you to join us in exploring how developing your own AI identity can help you create equitable AI learning spaces. Reach out now to program-managers@techbridgegirls.org to get more information about the institute.
The deadline is February 6, 2026 so NOW is the time to sign up! There is no charge to participate.
Pathways: Role Models and More
In celebration of Black History Month, we’re thrilled to introduce a Black History Role Model: Dr. Ruth Ella Moore, bacteriologist, microbiologist, professor – and fashion designer.
When you’re doing research that will help stop the spread of tuberculosis, you don’t always have to wear scrubs. Instead, if you were Ruth Ella Moore, you’d design and sew a sharp black and white suit with a matching hat inspired by the headdress of Nefertiti, or something long and elegant with flowers for springtime.
The daughter of a seamstress, Dr. Moore had a keen eye for fashion and a talent for sewing. But she was more famous for other achievements: Ruth Ella Moore was the first African American woman to earn a PhD in the natural sciences.
In 1926, the same year that Dr. Woodson and his colleagues held the first celebration of Black History Month, Ruth Ella Moore earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio State University. Over the next few years, she would go on to earn a master’s degree and then a PhD in bacteriology from OSU. She also earned an honorary doctorate in literature from Oberlin College and an honorary doctorate of philosophy from Gettysburg College.
Moore chaired the Department of Bacteriology (she had the name changed to “Department of Microbiology”) at Howard University and taught microbiology to generations of students while conducting research on antibiotics and microbiomes. And all the while, Dr. Moore wore gorgeous outfits that she designed and made herself – just another part of what she described as “a life of peace and enjoyment, loving my family, friends, church and all.”
You can find more about Dr. Moore’s research, career, and fashion at these wonderful websites: u.osu.edu, wikipedia.org, and asm.org.
For recent inspiring example combining fashion and science, read Talia’s Story.
Intersections: Techbridge in Conversation
AI is everywhere. What are we going to do with it? Find out more about our new program focused on Data Science and AI! At Techbridge Girls, we’ve been thinking hard about how to explore artificial intelligence while centering human intelligence. Starting this spring, we’re trying something new: a curriculum and event sequence that uses AI and the underlying data science as learning tools for out-of-school-time education.
In this podcast from That Tech Pod, Techbridge Girls CEO Savita Raj talks about what access means, our new program on AI, and why it’s so important.
What does authentic, community-centered engagement look like in practice? As Keystone Fellows with Beyond 100K, Techbridge Girls Senior Program Manager Tracy Staley and Board Member Dr. Taunya Nesin explored this question and many more to deliver this toolkit, which offers:
- Partner-led strategies for equitable engagement and culturally responsive collaboration
- Reflections and lessons from Beyond100K network partners co-creating solutions in their communities
- Actionable practices that integrate decolonizing methodologies, prioritize relationship-building, and redistribute power
- Guiding questions to help adapt and apply these strategies within your own work
And this month, look for Techbridge Girls at the Science for All Summit on Feb 19th and 20th in Chapel Hill, North Carolina!
The View: What we’re reading, using, and finding inspirational here at Techbridge Girls
For Black History Month and every month, we love the resources at The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, including their remote, interactive learning labs, reading lists, and resources. Check out their collections to view objects through different lenses like activism, history, and STEM discovery.