Of the approximately 25% of STEM jobs held by women, less than 4% are held by Latina women and less than 3% are held by Black women. Minority women are underrepresented in every field of STEM, deterring younger generations from pursuing a career in STEM. Latina Girls Code is working to change that by hosting its first STEM Day to intrigue and empower Latina girls to consider science, technology, engineering and mathematics as career paths. LuminAID partnered with Latina Girls Code and sent LuminAID lights so that these girls could have another form of exposure to products they can create with STEM careers.
Latina Girls Code has a goal to instill intellectual curiosity and excitement in young girls for STEM-related careers. With different opportunities to gain exposure to how STEM impacts and shapes our world, these same girls can feel motivated and empowered to make a difference. Latina Girls Code provides mentorship, development programs, and access to internships for girls who are interested in pursuing STEM careers. Latina Girls Code’s STEM Day was filled with numerous activities for girls to participate in, including: mechanical & electrical engineering, chemistry, astronomy, physics, and 3-D printing technology.
Upon hearing about Latina Girls Code’s mission, co-founders Andrea and Anna felt compelled to contribute because of the challenges they faced as women pursuing careers in STEM. LuminAID donated lights for the STEM Day, giving the young girls insight on how STEM plays a role in producing products with social impact like LuminAID lights. Leading by example, the LuminAID co-founders wanted to empower and assist Latina Girls Code with this movement in the minority community of women.
Stephanie Castillo, one of the coordinators for the STEM Day event, gave an account of how the day impacted the girls who came:
“The result was a clear indication that Latina Girls Code’s goal to build independent, empowered and community-involved girls is being brought to fruition. By continuing in this direction we expect to see many more girls realize their full potential and tackle the challenges of pursuing STEM careers. Thank you LuminAID for helping us light up this event!”
Latina Girls Code strives to empower more young women to enter STEM careers with confidence. LuminAID will continue to support efforts like this to create a more equitable existence for everyone. At LuminAID, our missions is to help those in need, both on a small and large scale. Anna and Andrea hope to inspire young girls of all backgrounds to pursue careers in STEM and entrepreneurship by continuing to break down barriers in these fields. Thank you Latina Girls Code for allowing LuminAID to be part of this wonderful event! If we all work together, we can light up the world!
