Game Changers, Celebrates Women in STEM Careers

GIRLSTART, is Closing the Gap for Girls with “Game Changing” After-School Programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 12, 2012

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Kimberly Strenk
Kimberly Strenk PR, Inc.
512-275-6173
kimberly@kimberlystrenkpr.com

AUSTIN, Texas (September 12, 2012) – STEM education is no longer the provenance

of the economically privileged or predominantly male school age student. Girlstart is

disrupting the traditional pathway to a liberal arts education by delivering girl-focused,

relevant STEM education that appeals to girls from all walks of life. By upending long-

held stereotypes of science nerds, tech geeks, engineering loners and math dorks,

Girlstart has created a new path of educational advancement that enables access to

technology, and embraces critical thinking and problem solving.

Girlstart empowers girls through hands-on learning in STEM activities. No lab coats

needed. Girlstart STEM education is fun, colorful and interactive. According to two

U.S. Department of Commerce studies, “STEM: Good Jobs Now and For the Future”

and “Women in STEM: An Opportunity and an imperative,” growth in STEM jobs in the

past ten years was three times higher than non-STEM jobs. They also found that women

represent less than a quarter of the STEM workforce. Another study, “Why So Few?,”

by The American Association of University Women also revealed that while women

earn almost 50 percent of America’s bachelor-level degrees, fewer than 20 percent of

STEM degrees are earned by women. This discrepancy points to the fact that women

hold a disproportionately low share of STEM undergraduate degrees, particularly in

engineering disciplines. But can young girls – especially those from disadvantaged

school districts – really gain a foothold into STEM careers?

According to current participants in Girlstart After School programs, the answer is a

resounding yes. “Ortega teachers serve a student population that is 97 percent low

income. We are so grateful for the Girlstart After School program. Girlstart gives girls

the tools and positive experiences that inspire them to not only build those windows

of opportunity, but also to design them!” stated Anna Pedroza, Ph.D. and principal of

Ortega Elementary School located in the Austin Independent School District.

Girlstart Game Changers is a fundraising event designed to offset the costs of these

Girlstart After School programs for the 2012-2013 academic school year. This translates

to over 600 girls in over 30 schools throughout Texas. No other comparable STEM

programs in the country have been able to scale their curriculum to meet the needs of

so many. The current after-school programs for 3rd – 7th grades services 100 percent

girls; with over 70 percent of participants from economically disadvantaged homes.

Nationwide, the Girlstart After School program has not only been recognized as an

exemplar of STEM education, but also for delivering best practices in out-of-school

programs to at-risk students.

The Game Changers fundraiser will be held on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 from

11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center on

The University of Texas at Austin campus. As the keynote speaker, Richelle Parham,

Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of eBay North America, will touch on the

importance of mentoring in helping girls and women advance. “I’ve been an advocate

for women’s mentorship throughout my career, and have benefitted tremendously from

the insights and inspiration of successful women leaders, especially in the technology

business. I’m committed to sharing what I’ve learned to help build awareness for the

advantages of early STEM-focused education for girls,” according to Ms. Parham.

In addition to the keynote address from Ms. Parham, Shree Bose, the first winner of

the Google Global Science Fair, will be on hand to share her first-hand experiences as a

young game changer.

To learn more about Girlstart, make a donation or sponsor a table at the event, visit

girlstart.org or call (512) 916-4775.

About Us

Girlstart’s mission is to empower girls in science, technology, engineering and math

(STEM). Founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, Girlstart is one of the few community-based

informal education programs in the nation specifically dedicated to empowering and

equipping K–12 girls in STEM. Girlstart develops and implements a range of innovative,

research-based education and mentorship programs designed to promote girls’ early

engagement and academic success in STEM, encourage postsecondary aspirations and

persistence in the STEM pipeline among women and other under-represented groups,

and develop a diverse STEM workforce for the 21st century.