Advancing Community Engagement:
A Keystone Fellows Toolkit
In today’s shifting social and political landscape, the urgency of reciprocal community engagement in STEM education has never been greater. Systemic barriers continue to affect Black, Latinx, and Native American (BLNA) communities, making it essential that Techbridge Girls and our peers approach this work with intentionality, shared power, and respect for lived experience. We’re delighted that our Senior Programs Manager, Tracy Staley, and our Board Member, Dr. Taunya Nesin were essential to writing this toolkit. When we all build with communities—not just for them—we strengthen belonging, representation, and sustainability in STEM.
Mission Graduates Case Study
For more than 50 years, Mission Graduates has been a cornerstone of educational equity in San Francisco, empowering first-generation and under-resourced youth to reach college and career success. Since 2022, Techbridge Girls has proudly partnered with Mission Graduates to bring equity-centered STEM learning to girls and gender-expansive youth across multiple school sites. Together, we’re cultivating educators and mentors who create spaces of belonging—like Brenda Escobar and Daisy Fajardo Samayoa, whose leadership and care inspire students to explore, persist, and dream big. This partnership exemplifies how community-rooted collaboration can transform access and opportunity in STEM for generations to come.
Fort Worth Case Study
When the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History set out to expand its educational reach, afternoons became a new frontier for innovation. Partnering with Techbridge Girls, the museum launched its Girls in STEM program—creating a vibrant space where girls and gender-expansive youth explore science with confidence and curiosity. Now in its third year, this collaboration blends Techbridge Girls’ equity-driven curriculum with the museum’s deep educational legacy to inspire a new generation of changemakers. What follows is the story of how one museum turned untapped time into transformational learning.
Field Trip Guide
Did you know that 93% of Techbridge girls say that field trips boosted their interest in STEM? And who doesn’t love a great field trip whether close by or a bus ride away. If you’re an educator or afterschool club, this guide is for you!
A how to checklist alongside our Field Trip Fundamentals make planning a STEM experience for girls a snap while building their aspirations, curiosity, and joy in the process!
Role Model Strategies: Encouraging Girls to Consider STEM Careers
TBG is a proud partner with SciGirls from Twin Cities Public Television and PBS. Techbridge Girls reveals Role Model strategies that are still key today! These research-based tips are for people like you – that work in, teach, and want to pay it forward to the next generation of future scientists and leaders. You can’t be what you can’t see. These are great strategies designed for YOU! If you’d like more, we have a badge for that! Take our free one-hour Role Models Matter™ Training at your convenience!
Science: It’s a Family Affair
This guide has tips, tricks, and at-home experiments made just for you! And don’t forget to check out Page 5, where there are six great tips for how to be an influencer in your girls’ life and interest in STEM.