STEM career opportunities are at an all-time high and increasing in volume by 8% yearly. So why isn’t our education system reflecting that?

Insert Alexis Williams. She saw a massive gap between the STEM boom and access to education, especially in Black and Latinx communities across the country, and is committed to being part of a cultural shift in the field.

Alexis is an Afro-Latina, queer New Yorker, and an Integrated Design and Media student at NYU. She’s all about the intersection of Social Activism and Tech and absolutely killing it in her field. We were so inspired by her work that we invited her to be a moderator of our Make STEM 100% panel. Catch her moderating that insightful conversation here.

We also teamed up with Alexis to spread awareness about the inequities present in the STEM field, asking some UCLA students to play “two truths and a lie.”

See how they did:

These inequities in STEM education translate directly to a lack of women and people of color in the field. Many schools don’t have the resources, mentors, and opportunities to encourage these groups to pursue a career in STEM, so there’s no surprise that the field lacks diversity.

Did you know that only 20% of high school graduates are prepared for college-level coursework in STEM? We think that number is way too low, and that there’s too much mysticism around STEM. That’s why we want to help equip you with the resources needed to make the field more accessible.

Our Make STEM 100% program includes a bangin’ resource guide, which you can use yourself and pass along to a friend exploring their future in STEM. We’ve also created a pathway to advocacy with our initiative to contact school administrators, where you can let them know how important equitable STEM education is to you.

For us, making STEM 100% is making equitable resources available, and you can participate in that change. Write to your school administrators to advocate for culturally relevant STEM education and expanded access to STEM resources.

Let’s Do This!

DoSomething

Some of our members are already taking part in Make STEM 100% through sharing the resource guide and participating in our civic action:

“Sharing STEM tools and resources is important to me because I believe that STEM is essential to making advancements that will better the lives of everyone in our world. Without STEM, we would not have even half of the comfort, safety, and accessibility that defines technology today. STEM will no doubt be essential to our future as well,” said DoSomething member Kayla L., 16. “I believe it is especially important to share STEM resources with women and other underrepresented demographics because of this. After all, STEM is the future for everyone, so everyone should have an opportunity to learn about and work with STEM.”

“Not many students are able to explore their interests before they commit to a four year university. I believe many students are not sure what a STEM career or degree path entails, so they never explore STEM options. My community college does not have many STEM clubs and I feel clubs, activities and career fairs would increase the student's interest,” said DoSomething member Lisette C., 21

DoSomething member Ryan T., 18 said, “I believe that by sharing STEM tools and resources with people close to me will help increase the number of people getting into the field. Personally, STEM seems like it is one of the most important fields to get into due to the technological and real world applications it has. By sharing these tools, I am helping to increase the chance of people getting into STEM and making the world change for the better.

We’re excited to see your contributions to the program, too! When you take part, you’ll be entered to earn a $2,000 scholarship, which might come in handy when you start making moves to further your own STEM future. ;)”

In light of the recent Colorado Springs shooting… many of us are left wondering how we can help. Good Good Good put together this list of 7 ways to support the LGBTQ+ community, including a stellar list of local LGBTQ+ organizations in Colorado Springs that you can donate to.

Some good news about mangroves… According to a report from the Center for International Forestry Research, the loss of mangrove forests is slowing down globally. Mangroves are hugely important to our ecosystem, and news like this reminds us that collective action to protect the planet can pay off!

Who says STEM and art don’t mix? One MIT graduate is challenging the status quo by embracing her creativity and bridging the gap between engineering and art. We love a multi-faceted queen. Read her story here.

Fastweb

New Scholarships Alert!

National Scholarship Month

National Scholarship Month is a great time to explore scholarships and to apply for each opportunity! Refine your scholarship application standards this November by picking a goal that works for you. Enter in three steps: 1. Be a Fastweb member. 2. Answer a multiple-choice question. There’s no wrong answer. 3. Submit your entry by November 30, 2022. Enter the sweepstakes daily!

Did you know…November is National Scholarship Month?! Score. Our friends at CollegeXpress are giving away a $1000 no-essay scholarship through November 30! And all you have to do is answer one simple question. 

Complete a free profile on CollegeXpress and answer the following to be entered: In honor of National Scholarship Month, how many scholarships have you applied for this year?

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