Wondering and Wandering

To STEM Professionals across science, engineering, math, technology, and more.

Let’s Build a Bridge to the Future – together.

As students, as educators, or as STEM professionals, you’ve crossed a lot of bridges: bridges that got you from elementary school into STEM electives, and from electives into a career path. Maybe these bridges looked like an afterschool STEM program, or a student organization, or a professional network.

Now, bridges like this are disappearing.

What happens when we lose a bridge? We lose a huge opportunity. Bridges like our programs connect girls – and especially girls of color – to STEM fields, including emerging tech like Data Science and AI. If these girls, with their unique perspectives, skillsets, and personalities, are excluded from shaping AI and other rapidly emerging technologies, it’s their absence that will shape this new tech. We’ll be living with that absence for generations.

We’re inviting you to keep building bridges. Here’s how:

• Pledge $25/month or more to support Techbridge Girls’ programs as a STEM Sustainer
• Share this email invitation with 5 friends or colleagues
• As a thank you, we’ll send you a Techbridge Girls tote bag so you can show your support around town!

Your ongoing donation will connect more girls – especially girls of color – to Techbridge Girls programs, where they’ll learn STEM concepts and tools, build lasting peer and mentor networks, and explore ideas in a fun, supportive, deliberately inclusive space.

And when you pass this message along, you’re making our bridges stronger. Thank you for being with us on this journey.

Spring has sprung and we are excited for what’s coming up in April!  This month, we’re honoring creativity, growth, and all things nature.  Maybe you’ll even learn about how Wondering and Wandering can be your superpower like Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant.

Bridge Building: Upcoming Programs – Changemakers: AI for Community and the new Techbridge Girls STEM Summit

This Spring, Techbridge Girls is excited to host in-person events with middle schoolers on May 2nd in the Bay Area and May 30th in Research Triangle Park. We’ll be piloting our new data science and AI curriculum and marveling at all the community projects at our girls’ showcase!  We encourage you to stay tuned on our social media and in the newsletter so you grow the program with us.

Are you an educator who wants to get involved? Look for messages this August about how you can get involved for ‘26-’27 or reach out to programs@techbridgegirls.org.

Pathways: Role Models and More

You might already be familiar with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant! If not, Dr. Wynn-Grant is a prominent wildlife ecologist and IF/THEN Ambassador who studies carnivore behavior and ecology, particularly large carnivores like grizzly bears and African lions. As a Black female scientist, she uses statistical modeling to understand human-wildlife interactions and promotes diversity in STEM. Rae’s also a super communicator and champion of science! She hosts the Going Wild podcast and co-hosts “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild”.  She’s perfected Wandering and Wondering!

https://www.ifthencollection.org/

Intersections: Techbridge in Conversation

There’s a buzz happening around Techbridge Girls!  Check out our latest video from ABC News 11 in Raleigh/Durham about our emerging work in North Carolina. And check out our blogs as we debut a new article this month on The Secret Sauce of Successful STEM Programs: Creativity.

The View: Wandering and Wondering Edition

It’s Citizen Science Month and when you go outside, your Wondering and Wandering can help real scientists. Check out our friends at SciStarter and help them reach 1 million acts of science in April.

Maybe you want to help these organizations with their data!

• iNaturalist: Documenting local biodiversity by taking photos.
• CoCoRaHS: Reporting daily rain, hail, and snow data.
• Globe at Night: Reporting on light pollution.
• Zooniverse: Analyzing images of space or wildlife.
• Teachers, Librarians, and Afterschool Providers, there are calendars, guides, and much more available here.

More resources!

Movies and Documentaries:

• Family Tree by Techbridge Trailblazer, Jennifer MacArthurabout generation wealth in an African American family of foresters

Podcasts:

• How Black Girls, Green Futures is Restoring Land and Community After the California Wildfires
• More Ologies! Critical Ecology (SOCIAL SYSTEMS + ENVIRONMENT) with Dr. Suzanne Pierre
• The Joy Report – Intersectional Environmentalist

Educator resources and classroom activities:

• And what if you wondered and wandered around the Moon? A historic Moon ride for Christina Koch is happening soon!
• The Existential Toolkit for Climate Justice Educators 
• Climate Justice Toolkit for Youth (from Women Engage for a Common Future)
• 17 Meaningful Climate Change Activities for Kid

We Heart Ologies: Thank you to Alie Ward and the Ologies podcast for the donation to Techbridge Girls! As longtime fans of the podcast, we could not be more thrilled. Really!