STEAM Town USA

(Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math)

One of my good friends and former board member, is a very successful civil engineer and if you met her you would agree that she was just meant for that role; smart, technical, articulate. A powerful example of a woman in a STEAM-related career. I was inspired to hear what led her to pursue a STEAM career. How did she end up where she is now? When Debbie was eight years old, in third grade, a teacher shared with her, “Debbie, you are so good in math, you should be an engineer.” A perfect example of how powerful mentorship can be in the trajectory of a girl’s life. It made me wonder, “how many girls are out there who don’t consider STEAM-related fields for their careers? And how many can we influence?”

There is a very wide gender gap in STEAM and we need to fix it. The average STEAM salary is 26 percent higher than the average for non-STEAM careers, yet women are woefully underrepresented in the field. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, women only hold 24 percent of STEAM jobs. To make matters worse, women in STEAM careers on average earn 15 percent less than their male counterparts.

STEAM Town USA works with third grade girls in underserved schools to expose them to STEAM - science, technology, engineering, arts and math concepts - and mentor them through their educational journey. The after-school program gets girls to believe in their STEAM abilities through applied learning, team building and project-based learning.

A major key of the program is the mentorship component. Girls not only need to believe a career in STEAM is possible, they also need to see that possibility realized. That is why STEAM Town USA brings in female volunteers who are engineers, scientists and college students seeking a STEAM degree. Our volunteers end up being not only role models for girls to look up to, but also mentors who that can guide and encourage these young ladies throughout their journeys.

“For me, sharing my love for science and engineering with the girls is perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of my job and my life. I love to see science and engineering empowering young girls and women,” says Melissa K. Cassel, Facilities Planner at ExxonMobil and STEAM Town USA volunteer leader.

Our newest STEAM Town USA advocate, Casey Curry of alliantgroup said, “I built a fabulous career as a meteorologist with a STEAM degree and I want these young girls to see that they can have a wonderful career in STEM too. I joined alliantgroup to help ensure more students in America are exposed to the possibilities of STEM and STEAM Town USA has been so rewarding because I can see the effect it’s having on these girls.”

Right now the program is only available in the Conroe, Houston, Goose Creek and Spring Branch school districts, but we want to create even more accessibility. If we want to truly address the gender gap in STEAM we need to address the problem from multiple angles in every community and school. It is so important to start STEAM education at an early age, and third grade is a pivotal time for young minds. We need girls to be confident that they can be just as successful as boys in a STEAM career and that they can be one of those shining examples of women out there already doing just that!

“...sharing my love for science and engineering with the girls is perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of my job and my life.” - Melissa K. Cassel, STEAM Town USA volunteer leader