programs
STEM for Her, through the generous donations of our sponsors, provides critical funding for programs that foster STEM interests in girls and young women through the sponsorship and organization of a variety of programs catering to those in the D.C. Metropolitan area. Programs include: STEM for Her Day, Exploring Biosciences Opportunities, Girls Empowered by Math (GEM) and Drive Like a Girl. Launched in 2022, our Mentor Program cultivates an opportunity for college students (Mentees) to be linked with professionals in STEM-related fields (Mentors). These programs enable girls to explore STEM topics they might not otherwise have an opportunity to discover. Through the mentor program, young woman have access to those in STEM-related fields. STEM for Her also furnishes multiple merit-based scholarships each year for young women enrolled in 4-year and 2-year academic institutions as well as technical/trade school programs.
STEM for Her Day
STEM for Her Day is a hands-on, experiential, conference-style all-things-STEM day for female high school students.
Mentor Program
The STEM for Her mission is to create awareness, excitement and opportunities among girls and young women to launch successful STEM-related careers. Mentorship is a critical component of that mission, and in fall 2022 we launched this program as a way to continue to advance women in STEM.
DRIVE Like a Girl
Teams of girls from high schools in the Washington D.C. metro area compete in an engineering innovation contest. For the last few years, this event has been sponsored by Audi in partnership with STEM for Her. This several-week engineering project is focused on the automobile / transportation industry. At the end of the session, the teams compete in an event and are judged by a panel of engineers and employees from the sponsoring company.
Unveiling the Tech Wizardry – Unlocking the Secrets of BEAT THE BOMB
Unveiling the Tech Wizardry – Unlocking the Secrets of BEAT THE BOMB, took place on July 25th and was an exciting and educational event designed exclusively for high school girls. Students were treated to an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the technology and innovation that powers the thrilling BEAT THE BOMB escape room experience. This event aimed to inspire and empower young girls to explore the world of technology, creativity, and teamwork.
Navigating the Skies: A Hands-On Aviation Celebration
On July 11, 2023, STEM for Her and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) partnered to celebrate the FAA’s 20th anniversary of the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)! Twenty-Five girls grades 7-12, from Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC; as well as representatives from the FAA and WAAS, participated in this one-time event. The event kicked off with a panel of women – Deborah Lawrence, Pamela Gomez, and Patricia Morrison – who shared information about their career paths and provided advice and suggestions to girls pursuing STEM-related fields. That was followed by flight simulator activities.
Exploring Biosciences Opportunities (EBO)
Exploring Biosciences Opportunities (EBO) was designed to provide young women interested in Biosciences and Biopharmaceuticals the opportunity to explore education and career opportunities.
Girls Empowered by Math (GEM)
Girls Empowered by Math (GEM) hosts two iniatives GEM Hunt and GEM Paths. GEM Hunt is a fun and interactive scavenger hunt-style event that introduces girls to math-related careers. We invite female professionals to present about their education, career, and various math-related topics in their field. We also work with the professionals to develop unique challenge problems with real-world applications, which girls then team up to collaborate on and solve. GEM Paths is an elementary STEM exploration program. Through a combination of fun science experiments and math lessons, our GEM Paths girls are able to get hands-on with STEM and discover for themselves how exciting it can be.
Earth Day
STEM for Her (SFH) partnered with Digital Pioneers Academy (DPA) to commemorate Earth Day 2023. During this event on Tuesday April 25th, DPA started “DPA Garden” for the 4th quarter of the school year. Seed bombs were dropped in areas so wildflowers will bloom throughout the garden. The girls soccer team lead the way as “SFH fellows” and learned the skills of gardening and maintaining a garden. They also learned about the benefits and importance of growing your own foods for not only oneself, but the community as well. Meteorologist Kaitlyn McGrath of WUSA9 was on site to cover this event.