Partnering with FIRST, the TSG Event Kicks Off Before National Computer Science Education Week to Showcase the Multitude of Women Employed in STEM Careers
ORLANDO, FL, UNITED STATES, December 11, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — Educating young girls and celebrating their curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enables the next generation of innovators. With community support programs such as Tech Sassy Girlz (TSG), programming and outreach go a long way in ensuring the development of the next generation of STEM savvy leaders.
According to the 2019 US Census Bureau, 30% of women are still underrepresented in STEM! TSG is committed to inspiring and empowering middle and high school girls to pursue STEM career paths.
One way to do this is through programming and events such as the FemSTEM: From Thoughts to Bots Robotics event, held on November 12, 2021. The event, in partnership with FIRST, provided 80 girls with a chance to learn more about programming, wiring, and 3D printing. This event inspired students to learn more about robotics and STEM-related fields, as well as to share the excitement of robotics across all ages.
Inspiring women that participated included Andrea Wesser-Brawner, Chief Innovation & Emerging Technology Officer with Orange County Government as the keynote speaker.
Panelists included:
• Ayana Beckford, Oracle, Senior Instructional Designer
• Jillian Bryant, Walt Disney Company, Team Leader Engineer
• Jessie Eaton, Jesus Films, Software Engineer
• Jane Gregory, Orange County Government, Administrator, Environmental Program
• Lisa Hauser, Lockheed Martin, Systems Engineer
• Raina Yancey, Oracle, Principal Technical Support Engineer
“This event was created to showcase the strength of the robotics industry and the amazing things yet to come. By exposing the girls to these women leaders in our community with exciting careers in technology, they can learn more about what types of STEM careers they can pursue and what it takes to get there. Thanks to FIRST, they were also able to learn about robotics and wiring.” says Laine Powell, Ed.D., Tech Sassy Girlz Founder, and Executive Director.
Tech Sassy Girlz (TSG) provides access for girls to develop 21st-century computing skills that will help them embrace their passion and recognize their potential in STEM fields. Since its inception in 2012, TSG has touched the lives of more than 2,000 middle and high school “girlz” and awarded more than $20,000 in scholarships. TSG’s Pearls in Tech program has successfully placed students in six-week paid internships in a variety of businesses including the City of Orlando's IT Department and AceApplications, LLC. It affords an opportunity to learn real-world skills applicable in a professional environment.
To learn more about TSG’s impact, Lauren Mutugi from Cohort 4 explains, "I learned how to code HTML and JavaScript, and I also learned teamwork and collaboration. I feel like I understand people more and how to work with them. My favorite thing about Tech Sassy Girlz is that it's mostly women and it's female-focused."
Special thanks to TSG’s additional sponsors for making this event possible and for continuing to champion the advancement of women in STEM: Orange County Government, Orange County Public Schools, and AceApplications, LLC.
On October 20, 2021, TSG kicked off its fundraising campaign, The Butterfly Effect: A Decade of Transformation. The goal is to raise $100,000 by TSG’s 10th anniversary on February 23, 2022. Donations and corporate gifts will be used to introduce STEM to underrepresented girls. TSG’s year-round award-winning STEM program is offered complimentary to students.
TSG has been widely recognized in the community and has received several awards, grants, and public recognition for its exceptional work over the last decade. There are several ways to support and plug into TSG including mentoring, serving as a speaker, sponsoring both on a corporate and individual level, and donating products and services to advance TSG’s mission.
About Tech Sassy GIrlz:
With a mission to empower middle and high school-age girls to pursue future careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), Central Florida-based non-profit organization Tech Sassy Girlz is leading the way in inspiring the next generation of female STEM professionals. Visit www.techsassygirlz.org for more information.
###
Christa Santos
CKS Marketing Communications
+1 407-230-7018
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
