Three girls in the Bellevue School District are changing their community by bringing opportunities to youth from minority groups.
Mishti Dhawan 11/19/2018 8:15 AM PST
Minority groups are underrepresented in the STEM fields, which is a pressing issue in today’s society. It is not unusual to see STEM high school classes like AP Computer Science or Robotics be dominated by White or Asian males. This lack of diversity is perpetuated by the lack of opportunities for people in minority groups.
But with leaders in our community, we are turning the tables to encourage youth to pursue careers in STEM by providing them with amazing opportunities.
Evelyn Chen, Maya Srikanth, and Archika Dogra are currently juniors in the Bellevue School District in Washington who started the EduSTEM Initiative:
"an international youth-led organization increasing diversity in STEM through exposing underrepresented youth to STEM careers and opportunities,” the girls told STEMTeen, in an interview.
The goal is to reach students who usually aren't exposed to STEM opportunities,
"from schools where a majority of students’ first languages are not English, to community centers for low income students, to youth drug rehabilitation centers, ” Chen said.
But what motivates these girls to be change makers in their community?
They believe that by teaching students about STEM, students have the potential to improve the world by devising innovative solutions to pressing global issues. Chen is particularly inspired by Ann Makosinski, who at just fifteen years old created a prototype for a flashlight powered by a person’s body heat from their hand. For her, this story highlights the value of STEM in creating innovative solutions. It also illustrates the power of women in STEM, and how at a young age anyone can create change.
The empowering message behind EduSTEM is that anyone can bring change to their communities, if they have the opportunity to do so. So what are you waiting for? Seize your moment, grab whatever opportunity you can get, and bring change to your community!
How can you get involved?
You can start your own chapter of EduSTEM and inspire change in your own community by applying here. EduSTEM will provide you the curriculum, guidance, and resources to establish your own branch!
You can also follow EduSTEM on Instagram @edusteminitiative, Facebook, and check their website here.
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