influencer.
GIRLS: LORI VINSON AND ANN DARBY; STEM: THE NOUN PROJECT
SMARTgirls participants get plenty of hands-on experience in a variety of STEM fields.
SMART GIRLS engaging kids in stem fields
WORDS
SYDNEY BLALOCK RITCHIE
W
E’VE SEEN THE STATS: As girls get older and progress in school, many turn away from STEM courses and career paths. Quite a few initiatives have popped up over the years to keep girls engaged—and one local organization is having a unique impact. SMARTgirls was started by a smart girl herself. We chatted with 17-year-old Kate Vinson (who created the Wylie-based organization while she was in elementary school), her mom and club coordinator Cristy, and group director Ann Darby, about the difficulty of finding women in STEM, the changing dialogue and how kids outside Wylie can get involved. What’s the goal of SMARTgirls? Cristy Vinson: The intent was to bring awareness and offer a solution to the fact that many times, girls lose interest in STEM. The group was designed to offer interesting and hands-on opportunities for girls in a local and low-cost environment. Our dfwchild.com / august 2020
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