Although women fill close to half of all the jobs in the U.S. economy, they hold only 28% of jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The American Heart Association, and local sponsors Chattanooga Gas, Ragan Smith, TVFCU and Thompson Engineering strive to make significant changes to these statistics by empowering more women and girls to pursue careers in the sciences.
Research shows as girls advance through school, they choose fewer science and math courses. But advancing the next great medical breakthroughs means empowering young women to take a seat at the table, doubling the potential to solve problems and leading to groundbreaking discoveries to improve the health of all Americans.
As an extension of the Go Red for Women movement, which empowers communities to build a sustainable culture of health, the American Heart Association created STEM Goes Red, to encourage young women’s interests in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and explore careers in those industries.
STEM Goes Red aims to prepare female students for the nearly eight million science, technology, engineering, and math jobs available worldwide. Not only are American students generally unprepared to fill these roles, just three in 100 female undergraduate students continue to work in STEM fields after graduating.
The American Heart Association is committed to building a brighter future, stopping heart disease before it starts, and paving the way to healthier communities. Innovation and big thinking require young, emerging students – both men and women – who are committed to making change happen.
The Chattanooga American Heart Association’s 2022 STEM Goes Red event, held on October 20, 2022, engaged 230 6th to 9th grade girls from Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy with a four-hour interactive program meant to empower them to pursue education and careers in STEM, as well as inspire them to take charge of their own health and well-being.
After a brief welcome from Executive Director, Emily Niespodziany, guest speakers Tiffany Callaway Ferrell, Vice President of Operations with Atlanta Gas and Chattanooga Gas Light and Sharon Law, Business Development Manager, Thompson Engineering shared their experiences with breaking into their STEM careers as young women. The students went through four break-out sessions, one for each of the four pillars of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) as well as mentoring sessions with 26 volunteer mentors.
“The Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy was honored to support the inaugural Chattanooga American Heart Association’s STEM Goes Red event and to engage in the mission to engage our students to pursue careers in the STEM field,” said Chief Executive Officer of CGLA, Dr. Elaine Swafford. “Opportunities such as STEM Goes Red means more young women are becoming empowered and exposed to careers that utilize their knowledge in problem solving skills. We are thrilled that the American Heart Association can be this resource for young women here in Chattanooga.”