Kicking Off Another Year of Commitment to “Inspire Future Leaders”
Ada Lovelace was a female mathematician and considered to be the founder of scientific computing. Frank Green, who developed a high-speed computer-memory system, is hailed as one of the first black technologists, breaking the color barrier in the industry. Dr. Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman to go to space in 1993 and has since logged 1,000 hours in orbit. These are only a handful of names of women and minority pioneers in STEM.
At SDG&E, we believe it is our responsibility to help create a future full of scientists, engineers, mathematicians and inventors and to raise the numbers of women and minorities in STEM careers.
Today, we renewed our support for the Inspiring Future Leaders initiative with a kickoff event. In the coming year, we will continue to strengthen the local K-12 STEM pipeline to provide more opportunities to develop a diverse, skilled workforce in our local communities.
What is New: #BeThatGirl
Through our new #BeThatGirl initiative, we are bringing our female STEM workforce front and center in our communities to expose young girls to these successful women who may have come from similar circumstances.
Our role models—women with careers in engineering, meteorology, environmental and computer sciences—will share how STEM skills can influence their future. We are encouraging our role models to go out in the community and act as mentors and connect directly with young girls in an effort to spark a passion for STEM and show them that they, too, can be that girl.
How Can you Get Involved?
STEM isn’t just a buzzword. It’s an invaluable set of skills for life and it can also be a ticket for a successful job and a prosperous career. By partnering with more than 100 local nonprofits, our goal is to make the right programs available for all youth to be inspired and empowered to overcome stereotypes that are associated with the typical engineer or mathematician and to strive to be leaders in these fields.
Since 2011, we have awarded more than $6.5 million through our Inspiring Future Leaders giving initiative. Last year, through our partnerships, we helped expose nearly 1.1 million students to STEM education and college/career readiness programs.
How can you get involved? Register as a partner with the San Diego STEM Ecosystem today. If you’re a teacher, parent or a student, click here to connect with a San Diego STEM mentor.
Click here to read more about how we’re inspiring future leaders in STEM. Connect with us on Twitter (@SDGE), Instagram (@SDGE) and Facebook or through #SDGEGiving and #BeThatGirl.