Press & Media Coverage

Women of color are among the most underrepresented population in the STEMM ecosystem, making up only 11.6 percent of the science and engineering workforce. Women, especially women of color, face outsized barriers within the STEMM ecosystem that start early and persist throughout the education and career pipeline.

It’s clear that STEM education is not working for Black, Indigenous, and Latina girls. In the last couple of decades, despite increased investment in STEM education, representation for Black, Indigenous, and Latina girls in STEM careers has remained stagnant.

For the past two decades, advocates have focused on creating a more diverse workforce by engaging more girls and Black and brown youth in science, technology, engineering and math, or education programs. On the surface, this strategy makes sense — if more girls and Black and brown youth enter the education-to- career pipeline, the workforce in these fields should eventually mirror our diverse society.

The Seattle Storm is thrilled to announce the Force4Change (F4C) initiatives planned for 2023. Force4Change is the Storm’s social justice platform with four pillars: Amplification of Black Women, Support of BIPOC Communities, Support of LGBTQ+ Communities, and Voting, Education and Legislation. This year, the team continues to intentionally partner with like-minded organizations to raise money and promote diversity by targeting underserved communities, non-profits, and individuals. Blockchain presented by Coinbase benefiting Techbridge Girls: Coinbase and the Storm join forces for the second year to donate $70 for each Storm block this season (up to $10,000) to Techbridge Girls—a non-profit that equips out-of-school time (OST) educators and STEM professionals, with the equity training and curricula that empowers them to act as catalysts for BIPOC girls* on their STEM journey.

Award winners include Nikole Collins-Puri of Oakland, Calif.-based TechBridge Girls, which works to bring equitable STEM curriculum and training to out-of-school organizations to support Black, Indigenous, and Latina girls who experience economic insecurity; Glen Providence, the executive director of Hebni Nutrition Consultants in Orlando, Fla., which provides nutrition programs to underserved and minority communities; and Jessica Johnson, founder of the Atlanta-based Scholarship Academy, which educates school districts and nonprofit organizations on how to help low-income find funding for college. The Black Changemakers program is a collaboration between SOLID BLACK, an ongoing initiative from Doritos to provide resources to Black people giving back to their communities; the PepsiCo Foundation; and the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and the Fund Raising School, both part of The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

The PepsiCo Foundation and Doritos SOLID BLACK today announced 16 Black nonprofit leaders selected for the 2023 Black Changemakers program, a program developed to uplift Black community leaders and amplify their bold voices to showcase the positive impact they are making. The nonprofit leaders selected for this year's program represent organizations focused on education, youth development & mentorship, food insecurity, job training, financial literacy, and more.

The YMCA of Snohomish County is partnering with Techbridge Girls to bring STEM ChangeMakers™, an innovative, out-of-school enrichment program, to three YMCA locations. STEM ChangeMakers is a place for girls and gender-expansive youth in grades 6-8 to explore topics like environmental engineering, computer science and coding in a supportive, inclusive environment. This program is free, but spots are limited.

Applied Materials employees created "thank you" packages for TechBridge Girls' afterschool educators. As part of the exercise, volunteers learned the importance of sharing the stories of "hidden figures" in history - women and non-binary individuals whose contributions to math, science, and society have changed the world. Sharing examples of women of color who have impacted history gives girls confidence that they can be the next generation of innovators in tech.

For the 2021-22 grant cycle, 10 grants totaling $7,000 were awarded by AAUW Morgan Hill. They were awarded to BookSmart Community Advantage for Diverse Books for Our Community and Gift of Reading Morgan Hill; Britton Middle School and Home Club for a coding program for sixth graders; San Martin Gwinn K-8 Home and School Club for components of the Reading Revolution; P.A. Walsh Elementary School for Mini Mermaids; Paradise Valley Engineering Academy for a classroom library refresh for first grade; Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley for TechBridge Girls; One Step Closer Therapeutic Riding for an equine assisted learning program for women; Literary Legacies for mentor support; and Discovery Counseling Center for Bold Quest and Bold Journey.

Experts say that providing youth – especially young girls and students of color – with role models and access to STEM-related activities or clubs can help them see the possibilities and real-world applications of these subjects.

The U.S. Department of Education and the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) hosted a 'Title IX 50th Anniversary Field Day' for Washington D.C. and Baltimore-area students (ages 8 – 14 years old) to try new STEM activities, play new sports, hear from champion athletes and leaders, and learn how Title IX impacts their lives. The event’s interactive stations featured soccer, running, basketball and STEM stations. The soccer station included Gaby Vincent, midfielder for the Washington Spirit, and the basketball drills were led by Howard University’s women’s and men’s basketball team. The STEM activities were led by Techbridge Girls and the Smithsonian Science Education Center. STEM activities included making sports drinks!

#GirlsLeadSTEM represents a collective, multi-sector effort to address these persistent disparities. #GirlsLeadSTEM will tap our most valuable stakeholders - the girls themselves - who will illuminate what’s still needed to ensure persistence in their STEM journey. This national effort will elevate the voices of young women and girls in STEM to transform the overused narratives in the space and celebrate the girls who lead their own STEM journeys, in their own voices, with their own communities and on their own terms.

Giving Compass spoke with Techbridge Girls' CEO Nikole Collins-Puri about TBG’s approach and the role donors can play in supporting transformational change in education, especially as nonprofits focused on Black women and girls face barriers to funding.

Techbridge Girls' CEO Nikole Collins-Puri was invited to speak on a panel at "Water Unites Us: A Celebration of Women & Girls of Color Who Lead In Science & Technology", the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and The Smithsonian Institution hosted this virtual celebration to mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and Black History Month.

The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education (CAFE Group)—will award five $1 million grants to Black leaders in education during the 1954 Project Luminary Awards on Apr. 28.