(Full Scale Media: New York) -- Kara Branch, 34, is an award-winning chemical engineer and founder of Black Girls Do Engineer, a nonprofit dedicated to getting more Black and brown girls into STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) through the power of access, representation, hands-on education, mentorship, and scholarships.
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Growing up in a single-parent home with limited resources, Branch (pictured below) fought her way into high school honors programs, eventually earning a scholarship to attend HBCU Prairie View A&M University.
An engineering major, Branch found that she was one of only a handful of women in her program, and in many of her classes, she was the only Black woman in the room. Throughout her subsequent engineering career, she has seen this disturbing trend continue, often being the only Black woman in important rooms she steps into.
The statistics back up her experience. According to the National Science Foundation, “As of 2023 only 35% of people in the STEM workforce are women, 5% are women of color, and a miniscule 2.9% are Black women.”
Branch believes this comes down to a lack of representation and mentorship, lack of access to quality STEM programs, and financial constraints for families in underserved communities.
In 2019, she launched the 501c3 nonprofit, Black Girls Do Engineer, an application-based educational program for girls in kindergarten through college to learn about and participate in STEM programs led by successful working professionals in these fields who look like them.
Why the Black Girls Do Engineer program is important
Demand for professionals across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is skyrocketing, and it’s expected to continue to soar, especially as AI expands. According to this 2023 CNBC article, “STEM jobs remain among the highest in-demand jobs overall, and STEM-related jobs pay over $100,000, especially mathematics and computer positions.” The article also states that “STEM-related jobs are expected to increase by nearly 800,000 by 2031.”
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