EmpowHer Social Justice STEAM Initiative

K-12 STEAM education

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

96% of the youth we serve live at or below he poverty level and 99% are BIPOC. Our youth live through LA County in many of the communities most impacted by poverty, violence, and crime. Our goal is to break these cycles of poverty by taking a holistic approach that challenges systemic barriers while also providing access to supports and skills often not available to low-income communities. Currently, less than 3% of all Marine Biologists are Black, of which less than 1% are Black women. The EmpowHer Social Justice STEAM Camp serves to change the face of Marine Biology, while offering a new and exciting venue for Black and Brown girls to become exposed to science and technology careers that can change the trajectory of their futures.

EmpowHer provides a weekly class that combines social-emotional learning, mentoring, skills-based learning, and case management that is fully integrated in the school day for girls in grades 7-12 at 14 Title I partnering schools and a community site. The course is divided into nine learning modules that address social emotional development, health, financial literacy, college and career readiness, social justice advocacy, and STEAM. The program, serves 1,000+ girls annually. Our Social Justice STEAM initiative combines classroom learning with immersive field experience in STEAM to address social justice issues impacting our communities. During the school year, girls learn computer science, coding, filmmaking, etc and develop group STEAM-based projects focused on amplifying a social justice issue important to them. Some of the topics girls have explored include gun control, bullying, gender pay gap, and mental health. During the Summer, we provide the first and only Social Justice STEAM Camp. Through immersive learning experiences in Marine Biology, girls examine the impact of climate change on marine ecology and marginalized communities. The five-week camp is delivered in two Sessions and serves a total of 30-40 girls. Session I is three weeks of living and learning on USC's campuses while coding, snorkeling, kayaking, environmental observations, air quality testing, and tide pooling. Session II offers two weeks of training and certification in sailing and scuba diving.

100% of our EmpowHer 8th graders matriculate into high school and 100% or our 12th graders graduate and are accepted into college. More than 80% of our girls select a STEAM-based major in college, as a direct result of program participation. Our Social Justice STEAM Initiatives have the potential to change the face of STEAM and support in breaking generational cycles of poverty for girls in marginalized communities. EmpowHer's overall pedagogy has the potential to set the standard for how to support and empower girls from marginalized communities so that they grow equipped with confidence and crucial life skills. The ripple effects of this success will contribute to the creation of a skilled and diverse workforce, driving innovation and progress in various sectors. Public health will also see notable improvements with an increase increasing social emotional development. Finally, our girls are more likely to participate in community and civic activities and advocate for change.

To evaluate the success of its programs, EmpowHer works with Quality Measures evaluation service. Statisticians employed by Quality Measures created pre and post survey instruments to capture program impact data and conduct annual focus groups with EmpowHer girls, parents, staff, and school partners. School partners also report academic progress, attendance, and school expulsion and suspension rates for EmpowHer participants. Our 2023 results include: - 100% of all EGA girls matriculated to high school
- 100% of all ELA girls continuing the program through 12th grade graduated and attended college
- 100% of program participants reported learning a new skill with EmpowHer Institute
-92% reported believing their mentor is supportive and a good role model
-82% reported feeling more confident about their leadership abilities upon program completion
-84% reported feeling positive about their lives and future upon program completion