FEAT URED
STEM Girls STEM Institute (GSI) began its inception approximately 8 years ago, and I was blessed to be a part of this awesome organization. GSI’s mission is to create and transform communities by empowering girls of color to become leaders, innovators, and educators who use STEM as a tool for personal and social change. GSI, deliberately created spaces for these young ladies to learn to the best of their abilities. This included surrounding them with administrators, teachers, and staff who first and foremost believed the mission. Next, we created an atmosphere that allowed students to utilize their critical thinking skills and challenge teachers teach with vigor as well as to teach with one or two teaching strategy for a particular subject matter. We also teach STEM in ways that are non-traditional that allows scholars to invoke positive movements through-out the day with dance and music. GSI, understands that a good foundation and support for a student is beneficial for their educational process, we also understand that life-skills play a huge part as well. We expanded our vision, and coupled mathematical processes with students on how to function in a kitchen, how to read a recipe, how to set a simple place setting, how to make a grocery list and shop according to your household. GSI attempts to help our students in other non-traditional ways, such as teaching, coaching and training in the science of hair care as well as personal hygiene. We understand that a student will eventually leave the classroom and begin to take their training from home, community, and school and make their way into the “real world.� We know from our life experiences that teaching a well-rounded student will make for a stronger individual in the workforce, whether as an employer or employee. 22
August/September 2020
