Encourage Women to STEM Careers
Kara Branch is an award-winning chemical engineer, engineering manager for Intel, and the founder of Black Girls Do Engineer, a nonprofit organization founded in 2019 to help young women develop in all areas of STEM. Encourage Women to STEM Careers.
Black Girls Do Engineer provides mentorship, STEM projects, and career guidance from professional women who are leaders in STEM. The organization’s goal is to have two million Black-American women pursue STEM careers by 2050.
We sat down with Branch to discuss why she founded the nonprofit, where she finds inspiration, and her perception of the current state of women in engineering and manufacturing.
David Mantey (DM): How did you get into engineering?
Kara Branch (KB): I always loved science and writing as a kid. I just happened to be good at math. Educators always told my mom, “Your daughter is so smart.” But that was it; no one recommended additional resources to help me grow. No one ever asked me if I wanted to be an engineer.
It wasn’t until I started applying for college that I asked myself, “What can I do with my love for math and science?” My college at that time asked me if I would consider engineering. In high school, I just understood chemistry, so I tried chemical engineering. I set goals, and I am a chemical engineer today.
DM: Why did you create Black Girls Do Engineer, and how has the organization made a positive impact in engaging young women in STEM and preparing them for their careers?
KB: When my eldest daughter was nine years old, she came to me and said she wanted to be a software engineer. I was taken aback because I never spoke with my three daughters about what I did as an engineer because of the trials and tribulations I experienced as a Black woman in this field. When she told me she wanted to be a software engineer, I knew two things:
- If anyone can help her achieve her dream of becoming an engineer, it is her mom,
- And I wanted to create a safe space for girls who share this passion to come together and do things they love.
My eldest daughter inspired me and is still on track to become a software engineer.
Our organization’s focus is the year 2050. The organization members perform STEM activities based on what research has shown to be likely STEM careers in 2050. They are always excited to engineer innovations, like designing a hair straightener using renewable energy, designing hardware to clean up debris in space, and working on carbon reduction. The girls in Black Girls Do Engineering help tackle problems that impact the world and their communities, and, most importantly, they are sharing their new skills within their communities.
Of the 25% of women in STEM careers, 2.9% are Black women. Representation matters and our nonprofit is providing representation in our community with a “See It to Be It” approach.
DM: What achievement are you most proud of?
KB: We started in June 2019 in Houston, Texas, and have achieved some great things. Named 2019 NASA Wear Challenge Winners. Our organization took four middle school students without any prior STEM knowledge or background and entered the competition. The team created a headgear prototype to protect astronauts on a mission to mars from radiation and our girls beat out more than 80 teams from around the nation. Our membership enrollment has grown by 50% every year.
We have expanded to two new major cities, Los Angeles, California, and New Orleans, Lousiana. To conduct hands-on STEM activities with our virtual platform with girls from around the United States. We were given a proclamation from the mayor of Houston giving us our own “Black Girls Do Engineer Day.” To continue impacting our community with our annual STEM Days events.
We have a 100% job placement rate and a 100% college acceptance rate. Our girls are going into industry and staying there. Our high school members are going to college to pursue their STEM degrees and excel at them.
Source:
https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/interview-how-to-encourage-more-black-women-to-pursue-stem-careers/