LEARNGirls in STEM Club Network
Inspire all girls to be Strong, Smart, and Bold through innovative STEM experiences
Are any other organizations collaborating on this proposal?
Columbia Memorial Space Center, Housing Corporation of America, DIY girls
Please describe your project proposal.
Our collaboration between Girls Inc. LA, the Columbia Memorial Space Center, DIY Girls, and the Housing Corporation of America will establish a network of Girls in STEM Clubs in under-resourced locations to provide mentor opportunities, skills and tools to be successful in school and life through programs where they live. Each Club will be based in the girls’ own communities, giving them a sense of belonging and pride. With women making up 29% of the STEM workforce, the program will set a founda
Which of the LEARN metrics will your proposal impact?
District-wide graduation rates
Proficiency in English and Language Arts and Math
Student education pipeline
In what areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working?
East LA
South LA
Gateway Cities
Antelope Valley
Describe in greater detail how your proposal will make LA the best place to LEARN?
Our collaborative approach capitalizes on the resources of established girl-centered organizations and STEM-focused organizations to deliver innovative, holistic learning experiences to under-resourced girls in their own neighborhoods - where they live. To access the girls, the program enlists the partnership of a leading, regional low-income housing provider. The heart of the proposed program establishes Girls in STEM Clubs in these locations, which will become platforms to deliver programming that provides rich STEM experiences combined with mentorship opportunities, support, life-skills and empowerment for the girls. The Clubs, which will span many diverse areas of Los Angeles County, will create a regional network of girl-focused learning opportunities, outside of school, able to leverage the resources of each partner organization.
The complexities of today’s world require all people to be equipped with a new set of core knowledge and skills to solve difficult problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and make sense of information they receive from varied print and, increasingly, digital media. The learning and doing of STEM helps develop these skills and prepare students for a workforce where success results not just from what one knows, but what one is able to do with that knowledge. Thus, a strong STEM education is becoming increasingly recognized as a key driver of opportunity, and data show the need for STEM knowledge and skills will grow and continue into the future. Those graduates who have practical and relevant STEM precepts embedded into their educational experiences will be in high demand in all job sectors.
Please explain how you will define and measure success for your project.
Measuring outcomes is critical to having a real and lasting impact on girls. By measuring outcomes for our Strong, Smart, and Bold goals we will see the changes in each area.
On our Survey, we measure seven elements of STRONG with research-based, reliable indicators found on two prominent youth surveys, the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the CDC’s National Survey of Family Growth.
Diet in the past week
Exercise in the past week
Substance use
Sexual activity (teen only)
Depression in the past week
Body image
The outcome area SMART maps to the Academic Enrichment and Support Core Essential Service, whose goal is to expand on and support girls' school-based learning and engagement to help them connect academics to life experiences, to innovative life decisions and opportunities, and to careers.
School engagement
English and math grades in the past year
Skipping school in the past month (teen only)
School disciplinary actions (suspensions, expulsions) in the past year (teen only)
Educational aspirations
STEM and college gateway classes taken (teen only)
College-preparatory tests taken (teen only)
The BOLD outcome area maps to the Life Skills Core Essential Service, whose goal is to build girls' learning, skills and behaviors that enable them to function independently and live a productive and fulfilling life.
Anger control
Stands up for fairness and beliefs
Self-regulation
Ability to bounce back
Bullying as a victim and as a perpetrator (at school, at
How can the LA2050 community and other stakeholders help your proposal succeed?
Money
Volunteers
Advisors/board members
Staff
Publicity/awareness
Education/training
Technical infrastructure (computers etc.)
Community outreach
Network/relationship support