Career Girls

What a week! Last week, California celebrated Women and Girls in STEM. We were honored to participate in the California Assembly’s Select Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) hearing on Increasing the Participation of Women and Girls in STEM.

 

State Assemblywoman, Susan Bonilla, from the 14th District, Chairs the Committee, and as the mother of four daughters and grandmother of two girls, she has a strong interest in supporting the state’s efforts to increase the number of women and girls in STEM. The Committee heard from Tom Torlakson, the State’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, about the importance of STEM education and two panels addressing: 1) Existing Opportunities and Success Stories in Increasing the Involvement of Girls in STEM and 2) Creating More Opportunities for Girls in STEM. Amy Hirotaka, from Code.org, provided insights into what other states are doing to support girls in STEM.

 

I had the pleasure of presenting our success to date in California, which has the highest number of users in the United States. As you might expect, we draw a large number of views from the state’s major urban areas: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Sacramento. However, more than half of our users come from 600 smaller cities and rural areas.  Our videos are reaching communities that often don’t have the same access to diverse and accomplished women role models that residents of larger communities enjoy and we are gratified that our content is addressing that need.

 

In my testimony before the Committee, I made it clear that as much I would like to take credit for the success of Career Girls, the real heroes are the women who sit with us to film their hard earned wisdom and experience for the benefit of the next generation of girls coming up behind them. We are truly humbled by their generosity of spirit. 

 

I was delighted to share some of that wisdom with the Committee. Take a look: