Black Girls Do STEM

Black Girls Do STEM (BGDSTEM) impacts 6th-12th grade girls in the metropolitan St. Louis community through our focus on communities that have suffered generational economic divestment and target demographics of first generation STEM exposed youth. We define first generation STEM exposed youth as girls from a household with parents and legal guardians who do not have a STEM educational background or work with a STEM workforce. BGDSTEM Founder Cynthia Chapple, is a first generation STEM exposed student and was a first generation college student being the 5th of her siblings to attend a post-secondary institution of higher education and only the 2nd to graduate with a 4 year undergraduate degree. 

Black Girls Do STEM empowers young Black girls starting with a transformative seven-year pathway program 6th-12th. This seven-year pathway begins with the Middle School Program at STEM Saturday Academy. This eight-month, 40-hour core program covering multidisciplinary STEM careers offers hands-on workshops geared towards a STEM career pathway, on-site mentorship from working STEM professionals, and social-emotional activities for personal growth. 

Finally, through immersive occupational awareness and career exploration under the experiential learning field trips, STEM Saturday Academy empowers through real world access and engagement with STEM industries in their community.  Our High School Program, Empowerment, Preparation, and Placement offer support services to girls in 9th-12th grade such as math and science tutoring, ACT preparation Career Shadowing, Internships, and summer research opportunities. These offerings are made possible through collaboration and service partnerships and are open to all middle school girls as they matriculate to/through high school from our Saturday Academy. Beyond K-12, we host a Virtual Collegiate Community that leads into a post secondary strategy to further support girls through university and or training programs into the workforce, with services such as basic life skills, resume building and interview skills, access to scholarships, internships and a support community of Black girls from across the country studying STEM fields.