Category: Press Releases

AUSTIN, Texas – Oct. 27, 2014 – Girlstart, the nonprofit that inspires girls’ interest and engagement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), has received a grant from the Freescale Foundation. The grant will help support Girlstart’s innovative, nationally recognized STEM education programs, such as Girlstart After School, and enable the organization to bring high-quality STEM education to thousands of fourth and fifth-grade girls in the Central Texas community.

“We are honored to be awarded this grant from the Freescale Foundation,” said Tamara Hudgins, Ph.D., executive director of Girlstart. “They understand what we are trying to accomplish in the Austin and surrounding communities and this grant is a testament to our program’s success in getting young women interested in STEM careers. Thanks to partnerships like the Freescale Foundation, we will be able to continue to expand our reach to thousands of girls throughout Central Texas.”

The Foundation grant will help the organization empower young women in the areas of STEM, thereby encouraging them to pursue higher education in these important fields. Girlstart After School, one of the designated programs the contribution will help impact, enhances girls’ STEM learning through fun, informal, hands-on and inquiry-based activities while exploring various subject areas such as aeronautical, aerospace, electrical, manufacturing, mechanical, petrochemical, and structural engineering.

Designed to reach girls who have limited or no access to high-quality extracurricular STEM education, Girlstart After School influenced nearly 1,000 girls in the fall of 2013 and anticipates impacting more than 1,200 girls throughout 2014, directly serving more girls than any other after school STEM program in the country.

In the past decade, growth in STEM jobs grew three times faster than growth in non-STEM jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. In addition, STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17 percent through 2018, compared to 9.8 percent growth for non-STEM occupations. However, women hold a disproportionately low share of STEM undergraduate degrees with only 24 percent of the STEM workforce being women.

“The Freescale Foundation is committed to STEM initiatives that inspire the diverse innovation leaders of tomorrow,” said Karen Rapp, Freescale Foundation board member. “Freescale employees have been volunteering with Girlstart for many years and we recognize the importance of investing in STEM education.”

Girlstart will be joined by Freescale employees and representatives of the Freescale Foundation during its Game Changers Annual Luncheon on Thursday, October 30, 2014. The luncheon is a special celebration honoring women who have made a significant impact locally or nationally utilizing their STEM education.

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.

ABOUT FREESCALE FOUNDATION 

Founded in 2013, the Freescale Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education for K-12 students in the communities where Freescale employees live and work. Whether it is unveiling the fun science behind model rockets, the engineering that enables robots or the technology that drives automotive advancement, the Foundation aims to empower the innovators of tomorrow.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Phil West, Orange Cone Agency, for Girlstart 512.769.3838, phil.west@orangeconeagency.com

Jacey Zuniga, Corporate Public Relations, Freescale
512.895.7398, jacey.zuniga@freescale.com

BY AWARDING GRANT TO SUPPORT AFTER-SCHOOL STEM EDUCATION CAMPS

(AUSTIN) – Time Warner Cable, which has supported Girlstart’s STEM education for girls since 2011 through its Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) initiative, is extending that partnership through a grant to help fund the 2014-15 Girlstart After School programs.

The $10,000 grant will help support Girlstart’s expanding after-school program, expected to reach more than 1,000 Central Texas girls in the coming school year. This year, 45 schools in 12 Central Texas school districts will host Girlstart After School programs, compared to just 16 schools in five districts when Time Warner Cable first partnered with Girlstart five years ago.

“Time Warner Cable has been one of our most consistent corporate partners over the past five years, and we’re proud that they’re continuing that relationship through helping fund Girlstart After School,” said Tamara Hudgins, executive director of Girlstart. “This grant is helping us reach more girls than in any previous year, for a program that’s helping girls succeed in the classroom and, as we’ve recently discovered, on standardized tests.”

“We at Time Warner Cable are extremely proud of our partnership with Girlstart and the work we’ve done during these three years to inspire the next generation of young women innovators,” said Kathy Brabson, Area Vice President of Operations at Time Warner Cable. “Our Connect a Million Minds initiative has positioned our company in an important role to help solidify our commitment to the communities we serve.”

CAMM’s goal to connect one million young people to hands-on STEM learning opportunities and resources was reached on May 27. The milestone comes less than five years after President Obama and TWC announced this commitment in response to the White House’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign, which is designed to move American students from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade.

In the past year, Girlstart’s STEM education programming for girls has been lauded by Change the Equation (a nonprofit, nonpartisan, CEO-led initiative that is mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of STEM learning in the United States), invited to participate in the U.S. News STEM Solutions conference for its second straight year, and has reached its largest student audience in its history through its DeSTEMber online education program, in partnership with a number of prominent STEM-centric organizations across the nation, including the San Diego Zoo and The Franklin Institute.

Girlstart recently published a groundbreaking, externally-verified study – quoted in Afterschool Alliance’s just-released report on effective after-school programs — showing that a representative sample of its Girlstart After School students from two Austin-area school districts outperformed non-participant peers in 5th grade STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) math and science testing.

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.

About Time Warner Cable

Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) is among the largest providers of video, high‐speed data and voice services in the United States, connecting 15 million customers to entertainment, information and each other. Time Warner Cable Business Class offers data, video and voice services to businesses of all sizes, cell tower backhaul services to wireless carriers and, through its NaviSite subsidiary, managed and outsourced information technology solutions and cloud services. Time Warner Cable Media, the advertising arm of Time Warner Cable, offers national, regional and local companies innovative advertising solutions. More information about the services of Time Warner Cable is available at www.timewarnercable.com, www.twcbc.com, www.navisite.com, and www.twcmedia.com.

About Connect a Million Minds

Time Warner Cable’s (TWC) Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) is a five-year, $100 million cash and in-kind philanthropic initiative to address America’s declining proficiency in science, technology and math (STEM), which puts our children at risk of not competing successfully in a global economy. Using its media assets, TWC creates awareness of the issue and inspires students to develop the STEM skills they need to become the problem solvers of tomorrow. TWC’s national CAMM partners are CSAS (Coalition for Science After School) and FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Local TWC markets are activating CAMM across the country with community-specific programs and partnerships. To learn more about Connect a Million Minds, visit www.connectamillionminds.com.

TO BE RECOGNIZED AT GAME CHANGERS ANNUAL LUNCHEON ON OCT. 30

GIRLSTART ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL WOMEN IN STEM AWARD HONOREES, TO BE RECOGNIZED AT GAME CHANGERS ANNUAL LUNCHEON ON OCT. 30

(AUSTIN) – Girlstart has announced the recipients of its second annual Women in STEM Awards, honoring four women who have made significant impacts in their fields and communities utilizing their STEM education. The award recipients will be honored as part of Game Changers, Girlstart’s annual luncheon event, which takes place this year on Thursday, Oct. 30 at The Westin Austin at The Domain. This year’s keynote speaker will be social entrepreneur Jessica Shortall, who built out the “One for One” strategy as TOMS’ first Director of Giving.

Honorees include:

Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Director Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, who in 1991 became the world’s first Hispanic female astronaut and has logged more than 950 hours in space;

Dr. Marye Anne Fox, distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of California, San Diego and the university’s seventh chancellor, who in 2010 was presented with the National Medal of Science, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on scientists, engineers and inventors, by President Barack Obama;

Adriana (Andi) Karaboutis, Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer for Dell Inc., who has spent over 20 years in leadership positions at Fortune 500 Companies; and

Meg Wilson, senior lecturer at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin and fellow at IC2, has had a leading role in shaping Austin’s culture of entrepreneurship. Meg also wrote the book, Options for Girls: A Door to the Future, that inspired Girlstart’s founding.

“We’re excited to continue highlighting the ways that women make a difference through STEM,” said Tamara Hudgins, executive director of Girlstart. “This year’s Women in STEM show what’s possible for women and girls who dedicate themselves to pursuing STEM majors and careers. Girlstart girls–as well as our community of donors and friends–will learn from a diverse group of inspiring women who will encourage them to take on great challenges.”

Sponsorships are still available for Game Changers, and a limited number of individual tickets will be available starting in August. More information on the event, including more on the award honorees and a list of current sponsors, is online at www.girlstart.org/game-changers.

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.

DEMONSTRATING POSITIVE EFFECTS OF INFORMAL EDUCATION ON FORMAL EDUCATION

STUDY SHOWS GIRLSTART AFTER SCHOOL STUDENTS PERFORM BETTER ACADEMICALLY THAN PEERS, DEMONSTRATING POSITIVE EFFECTS OF INFORMAL EDUCATION ON FORMAL EDUCATION

(AUSTIN) – In the past year, Girlstart’s STEM education programming for girls have been lauded by Change the Equation (a nonprofit, nonpartisan, CEO-led initiative that is mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of STEM learning in the United States), invited to participate in the U.S. News STEM Solutions conference for its second straight year, and has reached its largest student audience in its history through its DeSTEMber online education program, in partnership with a number of prominent STEM-centric organizations across the nation, including the San Diego Zoo and The Franklin Institute.
Now, Girlstart has published a groundbreaking, externally-verified study showing that a representative sample of its Girlstart After School students from two Austin-area school districts outperformed non-participant peers in 5th STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) math and science testing.

“We’ve known through observing the success of girls participating in Girlstart programs that they’re becoming more invested in math and science, but now have a study showing measurable and quantifiable improvement based on standardized state testing performance,” said Tamara Hudgins, Ph.D., executive director of Girlstart. “It demonstrates what we’ve been able to observe first-hand as we’ve expanded Girlstart After School to reach more students than ever – this program is working.”

Highlights of the study, comparing the math and science test scores of Girlstart participants and non-participants from similar socioeconomic backgrounds, grade level ethnicity, and Limited English Proficiency status, include:

In Spring 2013, 76% of Austin ISD Girlstart After School girls passed the 5th grade science test, versus 41% of comparison group members and 64% of all students (both boys and girls at Girlstart partner schools).
Over a two-year period, 71% of Austin ISD Girlstart girls passed the 5th grade science test, while only 48% of comparison group members (and 62% of all students) passed. In math, 85% of Girlstart girls passed, compared to 70% of comparison group members (and 73% of all students at AISD partner schools).
In 2013, 87% of Girlstart After School girls at Georgetown ISD partner schools passed 5th grade math, compared to 77% of students overall at partner schools. Over a two-year period, 82% of Girlstart girls passed the 5th grade science STAAR, compared to 77% of students overall at GISD partner schools.
In both years, Girlstart girls achieved Commended scores at significantly higher rates than the general school population – important because girls who earn Commended Performance scores in 5th grade can register for advanced or pre-AP math and science courses in middle school without having to test into those courses.
Subsequently, the study found that Girlstart participants are enrolling in advanced and pre-AP math and science, with 1.58 advanced courses per girl, compared to 1.00 per non-participating girl.

This year’s Girlstart After School programs reached more than 1,000 girls in Texas, in 43 partner schools throughout Texas – specifically, in the Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio metro areas and in the Rio Grande Valley.

Previous studies conducted by Girlstart show that its students display extremely high levels of acumen, interest, and confidence with respect to STEM education – with 92 percent pursuing scientific interests outside the classroom, 97 percent planning to attend college after high school (with 55 percent of these set to be first-generation college students), and 95 percent indicating an interest in pursuing a STEM career.

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.