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As the New Year begins, High Tech Rising is more committed than ever to closing the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. Over the past 18 years, HTR has funded programs that make a meaningful difference in the lives of middle and high school girls in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. The teenage years are critical for girls, as 4 in 5 STEM college students make their degree decisions in high school or earlier, and 12-17 year old girls are continuing to opt out of the STEM academic pipeline every day.
“As we reflect on our efforts over nearly 2 decades, we are encouraged by our progress,” shares Laura Steffek, High Tech Rising President. HTR grants have resulted in more than 1,000 girls attending AP Physics Camps, 800 STEM educators attending Gender Equity Training, and 1,000 school counselors attending workshops on STEM careers in North Texas.
The gender gap in STEM careers is not just a Dallas issue; it’s a national issue. In a study of 10 major metropolitan areas across the country, it was found that there were no other organizations like High Tech Rising that fund diverse, effective programs that encourage and prepare young women to excel in STEM. “In order to maintain our focus on growing our impact in the cities in which we currently operate while also expanding across America, we created a new structure that establishes the national organization, High Tech Rising, and introduces regional HTR chapters as their own entities,” Robin Bray, Texas Chapter President, announces.
The new national High Tech Rising, led by President Laura Steffek, will be primarily responsible for overseeing the non-profit organization as a whole. The national team will lead expansion efforts and explore potential cities for chapters, conduct annual audits, govern regional chapters, and maintain the High Tech Rising brand. With your support, the regional chapters, HTR-Texas, led by President Robin Bray, and HTR-Silicon Valley, led by President Maria Olsen, will continue to fund diverse, effective programs that encourage and prepare young women to excel in STEM.
High Tech Rising established a long-term goal two years ago to expand operations to 5 cities by 2026. Since then, they launched a Silicon Valley chapter in 2017 and will choose the next site in 2019.
While the goals are growing and structure is changing at High Tech Rising, its mission remains the same: to increase the number of girls who graduate high school prepared to pursue STEM degrees. High Tech Rising is operated entirely by volunteers and donors who believe in this mission, and in order to support their expansion, HTR has elected 41 dedicated board members and numerous volunteers in Texas and the Silicon Valley. These board members and volunteers range from senior executives at Fortune 100 companies to new college graduates and all of them use their gifts and talents to inspire young girls. “We are incredibly thankful for all of our committed volunteers and donors,” Robin Bray says. “Our work is only possible with their support.”
If you are interested in donating to High Tech Rising, explore donation options here and see what your donation can provide for young girls in your community.
If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in volunteering for High Tech Rising, fill out a quick volunteer form and a HTR representative will contact you and share different options about how you can join the team. “I vividly remember the first female engineer I met,” shares Laura Steffek. “There was so much power in meeting someone who looked like me who was an engineer. It made me realize I could become one, too. So many people helped me along the way. Creating opportunities for girls to see themselves as engineers is my way of giving back.” Laura’s experience is much like the experiences of teenage girls who meet High Tech Rising volunteers who are a part of the Speakers Bureau, one of the many ways to volunteer for HTR.
And last but not least…
Energized and encouraged by its expansion and organizational changes, High Tech Rising refreshed it’s brand with a new logo and look! Head over to hightechrising.org/ now and check it out.