The Metro Jackson Chapter of the American Heart Association will host its first “STEM Goes Red” experience to encourage middle school girls to pursue careers in science, engineering, technology and mathematics.
On Monday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Jackson Public Schools middle school girls will hear from industry leaders from Ergon, Nissan, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center and Bean Pass at the Mississippi Children’s Museum.
Jennifer Hopping, director of the Metro Jackson American Heart Association, said on Good Things with Rebecca Turner, “We’re very focused on STEM, because we want to encourage more women to pursue science fields. “We want them to get involved and collaborate on research that focuses on women.” “Our ‘Go Red for Women’ platform is the perfect place to do this. That’s how Stem Goes Red was born. ”
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Nashree H. Cephas, a computer engineer and entrepreneur who specializes in identifying bias through machine learning and algorithms. She is a technology evangelist for Amazon Web Services and co-founder and CEO of Bean Path, a nonprofit startup developing the Jackson Tech District, a planned community and business incubator in Mississippi’s capital.
Economic projections suggest that there could be as many as 2.4 million STEM jobs in the future. The STEM employment gap is exacerbated by persistent diversity challenges, as women and minorities make up 70% of college students, but out of every 100 female students studying for a bachelor’s degree, Only three people are employed in STEM jobs 10 years after graduation.
Hopping believes it is important to reach young women in middle school and promote the concept that they can enjoy a potential future in STEM fields before they decide on a career path in high school.
“If these kids didn’t make decisions in middle school, they’ve already made a lot of career choices in high school now, before they go on to college.” “It’s important to put in the work so that when they get to high school they can choose an area of interest,” Hopping added.
Go Red for Women is sponsored nationally by CVS Health, and STEM Goes Red is sponsored locally by Ergon and Mississippi Baptist Health System. Click here for more information.
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