Make your switch to a career in STEM with STEM ENRG🚀
A program centering women of color looking to transition into STEM. Apply to be a participant or to volunteer as a mentor today!
Check out our interview with the STEM ENRG org to find out more about their program, what participants and volunteers can expect, and how to apply🔥
What is the mission of STEM ENRG? What do you offer students and volunteers?
Our mission is to create generational wealth and generational health for women of color through careers in STEM. Our initial focus is on technology as a very versatile and lucrative space in desperate need of diverse voices. There's also a lower barrier to entry than people realize from the skills perspective. You don't need an advanced CS degree to break into tech. There are, however, social and emotional barriers that keep women of color from entering and thriving in these spaces and this is where our programming comes in.Â
As a woman of color with 20+ years of tech experience, often being the only person in the room who looks like me, I developed this program around my own personal experience that led to my successful career. I understand fully that it's not just technical skill I need. I have to be able to solve business' problems. I need to understand myself and others. I need to see myself in the roles and spaces I want to go to. And this is a big one...I need to make sure my money is right. If my money is right, I have a lot more choices about what I'll endure at a job, or what company will get my energy. It's about autonomy over my health and wellness which is not at all worth sacrificing for a paycheck. For all of those reasons we wrap leadership, personal health, financial wellness, and mentorship around our project based learn-to-code training.Â
Our volunteers help us to deliver all of this programming. In return, we offer our volunteers guidance on how to structure their classes or workshops for our students, the nuance of addressing the specific needs of women of color, networking, and a supportive staff. We've heard many times that our volunteers are getting just as much from our participants as the participants are getting from them if not more. There's this genuine authenticity of purpose from our volunteers that our participants can't help but feel.Â
What do students tend to do with their mentors?
This depends on the mentor/participant relationship. We encourage everyone to do what feels comfortable and what works for them. Our requirements are that they connect at least twice a month and stay open to a range of topics. How they do that and what they choose to focus on is up to the both of them. Conversations can range from moral support to career or technical advice. Past participants really value the genuine connections they made through our approach for keeping things flexible. I've found that different mentors offer different things as well. Some establish a strong enough connection with their mentees that they open up their network to them, make introductions, and even coach them on what to do next. What we strive for are strong authentic relationships with the potential to last beyond our program.Â
Can you tell me more about your open volunteer roles?
Absolutely! Right now we need mentors, facilitators, and subject matter experts. For facilitators, we're looking for those well versed in Github and also quality engineering. Subject matter experts can be absolutely anything. We cover software development, project management, website design, UI/UX, etc. because we really want to expose our participants to as many facets of technology as we can. For anyone on the fence about mentorship, go ahead and reach out. You'd be surprised at what you can offer one of our participants. We're still in the application process and have already come across women interested in EdTech, FinTech, HealthTech, and entrepreneurship. These women have all expressed that they just want to talk with someone experienced in their field. We look for women of color and our allies for mentorship. As long as you're a dynamic, experienced professional, with passion for advancing women of color in STEM, we'd love to connect. If you've never mentored before, we'll train you!
How can students and volunteers apply?
✨ Participants can apply here: https://impact.stemenrg.org/applyÂ
✨ Volunteers can apply here: https://stemenrg.org/volunteering
Applications for participants close on September 30th, 2021 and volunteer applications close on October 30th, 2021. We've been so impressed with the applications so far and slots are filling up!