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MasterCard’s Girls4Tech program nurtures local STEM talent.
Embracing STEM
To prepare for a 21st-century workforce, Westchester schools aAnd businesses are focused on STEM training. By Kevin Zawacki
sk a handful of local high- says Laurence Gottlieb, president school or college students and CEO of Hudson Valley Economic what career advice they hear Development Corporation (HVEDC). most, and they’ll likely cite “[STEM] is permeating literally this refrain: “Want a good job? every type of job,” Gottlieb notes. Study STEM.” “It’s been an amazing transforma-
In recent years, a background in tion. Where Westchester industries
“If you want to be part of the economy, you have to have at least an appreciation for STEM. You can’t just say, ‘I wasn’t very good at science in school.’ It’s not an excuse anymore.”
— Laurence Gottlieb, president and CEO, HVEDC
To empower budding female scientists, Girls Inc. runs programs at local middle and high schools within nine Westchester school districts. One program, titled Operation SMART, invites female scientists from IBM, PepsiCo, and elsewhere into classrooms to explore subjects ranging from computer science to agriculture.
“These women not only talk about their current careers but also how they got to that point, why they got inter- ested in science, [and] what their edu- cation paths were,” Apollonio says.
Girls Inc. also helps organize cod- ing parties that teach the basics of computer programming. In 2015, the group held over a dozen coding par- ties, reaching about 300 Westchester students. “We anticipate doing the same, if not more, this year,” says Vanessa Santiago, director of pro- grams for Girls Inc. Westchester.
Apollonio says that Girls Inc.’s in- vestment in STEM is largely driven by the opportunity it creates. “The number of STEM jobs continues to grow every year, and they seem to be exceeding the workforce,” she says. “We want to make sure our girls know about these opportunities.”
Gottlieb believes it’s programs like these, and the students they create, that will keep marquee corporations in Westchester for the long haul. “The more the school systems in Westchester County turn out top- flight students, the better it is for local companies like Regeneron, PepsiCo, and MasterCard,” he says.
MasterCard itself is nurturing lo- cal STEM talent, with initiatives like Girls4Tech in a Day, a nascent pro- gram inspired by MasterCard’s glob- al Girls4Tech initiative. MasterCard may not seem like a STEM company at first, but “MasterCard is all about algorithms, digital convergence, and cryptography,” says Susan Warner, vice president of worldwide commu- nications. “If that’s not STEM, I don’t know what is.”
Warner has been instrumental in bringing these subjects into local classrooms. In January, as part of a pilot program, Girls4Tech in a Day visited Anne Dorner Middle School in Ossining, commandeering the library for hands-on STEM educa- tion. Warner notes that the program eschews lectures for more dynamic lessons, like cracking codes and ana- lyzing data, all alongside MasterCard
STEM—an acronym for science, tech- nology, engineering and mathemat- ics—has been heralded as the ticket to a secure, rewarding, and high-paying job. It’s hardly empty talk: Last year, President Obama pledged to invest more than $3 billion in federal STEM education programs across the coun- try. But while not every student may heed the advice, Westchester County is definitely paying close attention.
Across the region, local schools and nonprofits are increasingly in- vesting in STEM-oriented curricula and training, with the goal of creat- ing science-savvy, career-ready grad- uates. And they’re not alone: Local industry is investing in STEM, too, training residents and employees with the goal of shaping a capable, cutting-edge workforce.
Westchester’s commitment to building STEM skills is a sound bet, but it’s also one driven by necessity,
weren’t necessarily dependent upon STEM skills, now every employee must have background in science, technology, engineering, or math.
“If you want to be part of the econ- omy, you have to have at least an ap- preciation for STEM,” he continues. “You can’t just say, ‘I wasn’t very good at science in school.’ It’s not an excuse anymore.”
These days, Westchester students hardly have a reason to shrug off sci- ence. A growing number of school districts and nonprofits are partner- ing to make STEM education lively, engaging, and ubiquitous. At Girls Inc. Westchester, a nonprofit dedicat- ed to empowering local young wom- en, STEM education is a top priority.
“We want to dispel the notion that only men do STEM,” says Heather Apollonio, development coordinator at Girls Inc. “There’s a huge gender gap in STEM fields.”
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