ENCOURAGING GIRLS TO BE ALL THEY CAN BE.
Women remain underrepresented in STEM fields and, as a result, miss out on many of the benefits of STEM careers. Additionally, rural areas frequently lack options for students to explore STEM, particularly during the summer months. However, thanks to a generous grant from Astellas USA Foundation, the Stellar Girls™ program now offers five day-long summer camps for 100 high-needs female students in Chicagoland and rural communities, including Red Bud, Sparta, Chester, Coulterville and Valmeyer. Programming consists of hands-on activities and sessions with STEM professionals and field trips.
Additionally, Astellas USA Foundation will continue its long-standing support of the Stellar Girls 20-week after-school program benefiting 400 girls, taught by teachers from 25 Chicago area schools. Astellas employees also volunteer their time to help give the girls access to professionals working in diverse STEM careers.
The Stellar Girls program introduces girls to “Big Ideas” in STEM fields and provides related training for teachers. Through fun, hands-on experiments, Stellar Girls helps build student awareness of exciting careers in science-based industries. Through laboratory discovery, Stellar Girls explore the effects of enzymes, dissecting fruits and vegetables, and more. The program of the iBIO Institute EDUCATE Center is focused on inspiring the interest of girls in grades three through eight in STEM and enhancing educators' ability to motivate girls to pursue an education and future career in STEM.
Since 2011, more than 600 girls have participated in Stellar Girls, 74 percent of whom are minority and 72 percent from low-income homes.
Stellar Girls is a trademark of iBIO Institute.
