“I long thought that making a difference was reserved for people who had all the answers. But since founding Girls in STEM I’ve realized that all that it takes is someone who cares. As part of the KS WEL Institute, I am surrounded by women who care deeply about bettering the world around them, and who inspire me to continue chipping at the glass ceiling. It’s often said that you can’t be what you can’t see, and at KS WEL Institute I am surrounded by a community of empowering female founders where each day I am motivated to continue my work in entrepreneurship and the business of doing good.”
Alice Hou, '23
Alice Hou
Introducing Girls in STEM, a by-girls, for-all, student organization fighting to close the STEM demographic gap.
About Girls in STEM
The fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) have long been male-dominated. These spaces were boys clubs, often created for men to succeed and for women to feel like the odd ones out. Founder Alice Hou was no stranger to this exclusion. Having been interested in STEM growing up, she competed in science fairs and attended computer camps but over the years, noticed fewer and fewer girls remained in the room. Entering high school, she looked for a community where she could be surrounded by like-minded girls and when she couldn’t find one, she created her own. Girls in STEM was born as a small club, a space where girls could come together and explore STEM on their own terms. Slowly as the club grew, Alice saw that she had never been alone in feeling alone. Although she and her new found members began with no budget or experience, they began to craft a curriculum of three pillars that impacted them the most.
These were 1. Bridging the Gap: bringing female STEM professionals as guest speakers 2. Girls Teaching Other Girls: STEM Learning where members teach others on topics they have interests in 3. Paying it Forward: spreading our passion with community service. Girls in STEM shows girls that STEM is not stagnant or intimidating, it’s a dynamic field that touches people’s lives everyday, and needs the difference they will make. Since being founded in 2015, Girls in STEM has expanded into 40 high schools across 10 countries, with over 1000 registered members.
Girls in STEM
Website:
Industry:
Non-profit, STEM Education, & Gender Equity
Mission:
To empower girls to join the fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) at the high school age, where the STEM gender gap begins to widen.
Year Founded:
2015
