Category: Press Releases

2015 STEM Video Competition Winners

Every day a light goes on in a young person’s head as they grasp new concepts in science, mathematics, engineering and technology (STEM), all because an afterschool or summer learning program has created a hands-on experience where interests are sparked and passions are fueled. Through support from the Noyce Foundation and the C.S. Mott Foundation, we are pleased to announce we are one of the winners of the 2015 STEM Uncovered: Telling Our Afterschool Stories video competition.

Girlstart is one of six winners from across the country highlighted for their work in supporting innovative activities and helping their students in identifying with STEM careers. Other winners include the ACE Youth Project (CT), First Robotics Team 4057 (OR), Graduation Generation Zero Robotics (GA), Dimension Learning (NY), and Princeton YWCA (NJ).

“It was a unique opportunity for afterschool and summer programs to tell us the stories about the difference they are making for kids and their organizations,” said Ron Ottinger, Executive Director of the Noyce Foundation. “Their innovative efforts are sparking kids’ STEM interests and inspiring more youth to consider careers in these fields.”

By the year 2020, almost two thirds of jobs will require postsecondary education or training, with nearly 80 percent of careers requiring some STEM skills. Not only does STEM programming help kids to develop the skills necessary to be successful for a 21st century workforce, but STEM-focused afterschool programs also engage students who have been otherwise turned off by education.

STEM programs are like charging stations that power up kids’ learning. These six winning videos shine a spotlight on the great work that is happening in the STEM field and sharing how their program is uncovering STEM learning and inspiring kids to build, create, explore and dream.
“We’re proud to be selected as one of the Noyce Foundation and C.S. Mott Foundation’s video competition winners,” said Girlstart deputy director Julie Shannan. “Preparing the video gave us the chance to reflect on how engaged Girlstart girls are in our summer camp programs and in how much fun they have while they’re learning, which we believe comes through in the video. It was also rewarding to feature young women who have moved on to STEM studies in college after being inspired by what they learned and experienced through Girlstart.”

Visit stemvideocompetition.org to learn about the competition and view the winning videos. For more information about Girlstart, visit the program’s official website, www.girlstart.org.

NAMES GIRLSTART A “BRIGHT SPOT IN HISPANIC EDUCATION”

WHITE HOUSE INITIATVE ON EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE FOR HISPANICS NAMES GIRLSTART A “BRIGHT SPOT IN HISPANIC EDUCATION”

(AUSTIN) – Today, the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics announced Girlstart was named a Bright Spot in Hispanic Education. The designation, given to Girlstart for its investment in key education priorities for Hispanics, is tied to the release of an online national catalog to identity notable Hispanic-serving institutions.

According to the Initiative’s announcement, timed for the commencement of Hispanic Heritage Month, the catalog is being published “to leverage these Bright Spots to encourage collaboration between stakeholders focused on similar issues in sharing data-driven approaches, promising practices, peer advice, and effective partnerships, ultimately resulting in increased support for the educational attainment of the Hispanic community, from cradle-to-career.”

“We’re honored to be recognized by the Initiative for the work we’re doing with Latina students throughout the nation,” said Tamara Hudgins, executive director for Girlstart. “Be it our work in Central Texas, our national outreach via the Girlstart ‘to Go’ program, or our expansion of after school programs in Central Texas, Houston, and the Rio Grande Valley, it’s been important for us to inspire young Latina students toward futures that involve STEM studies.”

More than 230 organizations across the nation are included in the catalog, reviewable on the Initiative’s website, www.ed.gov/HispanicInitiative. (You can find Girlstart’s entry via this bitlink: www2.ed.gov)

ABOUT GIRLSTART

Girlstart, founded in Austin in 1997, is the only community-based informal STEM education nonprofit in the nation specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM, through year-round programming that promotes girls’ early engagement and academic success in STEM, encourages girls’ aspirations and persistence in STEM education and careers, and incubates a talented and diverse STEM workforce. Its innovative, nationally-recognized programs include after-school and summer camps for students, professional development for teachers, and community and online STEM education outreach programs. Girlstart cultivates a culture where risk is rewarded, curiosity is encouraged, and creativity is expected. As a result, Girlstart girls are connected, brave, and resilient. Girlstart makes girls more successful, and inspires them to take on the world’s greatest challenges.

TO BE RECOGNIZED AT GAME CHANGERS ANNUAL LUNCHEON ON SEPT. 2

GIRLSTART ANNOUNCES 2015 WOMEN IN STEM AWARD HONOREES, TO BE RECOGNIZED AT GAME CHANGERS ANNUAL LUNCHEON ON SEPT. 23

(AUSTIN) – Girlstart has announced the recipients of its 2015 Women in STEM Awards, honoring women who have distinguished themselves in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers and have been inspirational to girls seeking to pursue STEM education and STEM careers.

The award recipients will be honored as part of Game Changers, Girlstart’s annual luncheon event, which takes place this year on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at the JW Marriott Hotel (110 E. 2nd), featuring Jacqueline Fuller, director of Google.org (which provides more than $100 million yearly to support tech innovators making transformational impact in areas such as education, development and renewable energy), as this year’s keynote speaker.

Honorees include:

Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen, Co-Founders of Roominate, a Bay Area company specializing in a “unique blend of building, circuits, design, crafts, storytelling, and creativity” geared to “inspire the next generation of innovators;”

Laura Bosworth, CEO and co-founder of TeVido BioDevices, a biotech startup that uses innovative 3D printing to create custom breast implants and grafts, made from a woman’s own cells, for reconstruction after cancer treatment;

Nasrin Rezai, GE Capital’s Global Chief Information Security Officer and head of Corp. Security & Compliance Officer for the industrial GE businesses;

Runi Duvall, this year’s Alumna Honoree, who participated in the inaugural Girlstart program and went on to earn a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters degree in Construction Engineering and Project Management from The University of Texas at Austin. She is currently the Senior Construction Manager for Hanger, Inc., the nation’s leading provider of orthotic and prosthetic patient care and rehabilitative solutions.

Sponsorships are still available for Game Changers, and a limited number of individual tickets are still available. More information on the event, including more on the award honorees and a list of current sponsors, is online at www.girlstart.org/support-girlstart/annual-luncheon.

ABOUT GIRLSTART

Girlstart, founded in Austin in 1997, is the only community-based informal STEM education nonprofit in the nation specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM, through year-round programming that promotes girls’ early engagement and academic success in STEM, encourages girls’ aspirations and persistence in STEM education and careers, and incubates a talented and diverse STEM workforce. Its innovative, nationally-recognized programs include after-school and summer camps for students, professional development for teachers, and community and online STEM education outreach programs. Girlstart cultivates a culture where risk is rewarded, curiosity is encouraged, and creativity is expected. As a result, Girlstart girls are connected, brave, and resilient. Girlstart makes girls more successful, and inspires them to take on the world’s greatest challenges.

at 2015 Girls in STEM Conference

Hanger, Inc. to Showcase Prosthetic Tail, Made Famous in 2011 Feature Film Dolphin Tale, at 2015 Girls in STEM Conference

(AUSTIN) – Girlstart is pleased to announce that Hanger, Inc. will showcase the prosthetic tail and liner it created for Winter — the famous dolphin from the 2011 feature film Dolphin Tale — at this year’s Girls in STEM Conference on Saturday, April 11th.

2015 marks the tenth anniversary of Girlstart’s annual Girls in STEM event, which will be held at Travis High School (1211 E. Oltorf). The conference will bring more than 450 4th-8th grade girls from throughout Central Texas together for hands-on STEM education sessions led by 80 professional women working in STEM fields at Austin-area companies.

Sessions at this year’s conference will give girls the opportunity to perform DNA isolation on strawberries, create an adhesive similar to what’s used in tape, and build a city out of candy, to name just three of the fun, hands-on, creative activities showing girls the range of experiences available in STEM careers. In addition, all the girls will participate in an opening session in which they will create their own prosthetic tails, modeled after the one Hanger created.

“We’re thrilled to be able to involve Hanger, Inc. in this year’s event,” said Julie Shannan, Deputy Director of Girlstart. “The prosthetic tail used by Winter in Dolphin Tale is an amazing technological achievement that also happened to play a role in a movie that many of our students know and love. This conference is all about showing girls what’s possible with STEM to change lives and make the world a better place, and Hanger is allowing us to feature a familiar example of that.”

This conference, part of the Expanding Your Horizons network, is one of the longest-running programs in Girlstart’s ever-expanding array of STEM education programs geared toward girls.

Girlstart, founded in 1997, is the only community-based informal STEM education nonprofit in the nation specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM through year-round programming that promotes girls’ early engagement and academic success in STEM, encourages girls’ aspirations and persistence in STEM education and careers, and incubates a talented and diverse STEM workforce.

For more info about Winter the Dolphin and how the Hanger Clinic (the division of Hanger, Inc., specializing in orthotic and prosthetic services and products) helped outfit her with a prosthetic tail, visit the page about Winter on the Hanger Clinic’s website: www.hangerclinic.com/success-stories/winter-the-dolphin/Pages/default.aspx.

For more info about Girlstart and its Girls in STEM Conference, visit this page on the Girlstart website: www.girlstart.org/our-programs/girls-in-stem-conference.