Girls Incorporated of Worcester Receives
$220,000 for STEM Programs
WORCESTER, MA – Girls Incorporated of Worcester received funding for fiscal year 2014/ 2015 from 16 foundations/corporations to support its STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) programs?Eureka (Girls Inc.’s unique capstone program that encourages girls in grades 8-12 to explore career paths and post-secondary educational opportunities in STEM), Thinking SMART (grades 7-8), Operation SMART (grades K-6), and Summer STEM (grades 1-10). As the majority of the 350 girls involved in these programs are between the ages of 10-14, we are reaching them at a juncture when many girls’ interest in these subjects is at risk of declining.
The Eureka program allows Girls Inc. to provide a pipeline of programs for under-served girls in grades K-12; building girls’ confidence and skills through a continuum of engaging hands-on STEM opportunities and following girls through to their high school graduation and college acceptance. The Eureka program requires collaboration with STEM professionals and their companies and a connection with local colleges/universities for the summer experience; all of which are key to the success of the program. Our educational partners include Becker College, Clark University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Worcester State University.
STEM grants were received from:
- The Women’s Self-Worth Foundation/Girls Inc. National
- United Way of Central Massachusetts
- National Grid
- EMC
- Intel
- Cubist Pharmaceuticals
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education quality Enhancements in Afterschool and Out-of-School Time Grant
- Boston Scientific
- Coca Cola/Girls Inc. National
- Bank of America
- Boston Bruins Foundation
- TE Connectivity
- People’s United Community Foundation
- Google Made with Code/Girls Inc. National
- MathWorks
- Hart Foundation
- Saint-Gobain
- UMass Medical School
- Becker College
“We are grateful for the support of corporate sponsors and foundations that recognize the long-reaching impact of our STEM programs. Thanks to their commitment, our girls are being mentored and given the unique opportunity to discover science, technology, engineering, and math and learn about related career opportunities that will positively impact their futures,” said Victoria Waterman, CEO of Girls Inc. of Worcester.
The program goals are to dispel stereotypes about math and science that many girls express, and to give girls an opportunity to develop the personal tools necessary to be successful in school and pursue education and careers in mathematics and the sciences. By preparing girls for high performance expectations and economic independence, Girls Inc. is arming girls with the skills and tools to not only achieve, but to pave their own futures in higher paying careers and break the cycle of poverty.
About Girls Incorporated of Worcester
As the oldest and only facility based, girl-centered organization in Central Massachusetts, Girls Incorporated of Worcester has been transforming girls’ views of themselves and creating opportunities for generations. For 98 years, Girls Inc. has been providing nationally-evaluated, gender-specific programming to thousands of local girls, particularly those identified as high-risk and low-income. Girls Inc. provides more than 1,400 girls in Greater Worcester with life-changing experiences and real solutions to the unique issues girls face; giving girls the right tools and support to succeed, including trained professionals who mentor and guide them in a safe, girls-only environment, peers who share their drive and aspirations, and research-based programming. At Girls Inc., girls learn to set and achieve goals, boldly confront challenges, resist peer pressure, see college as attainable, and explore nontraditional fields such as STEM.
For more information about Girls Incorporated of Worcester, visit our website www.girlsincworcester.org; or www.facebook.com/girlsincofworcester and twitter.com/girlsincworc.
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