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helping girls get hyped about STEM one project at a time

3 min read | january 16, 2023

Heven Adugna aims high. She aspires to become a pediatrician, and as a seventh-grade student, she knows that science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) will help her reach that goal.

However, women—and particularly Black, Indigenous and all girls of color—are largely underrepresented in STEM fields and often marginalized from taking part in STEM education at an early age. In 2019-2020, women of color in the U.S. earned 15% of bachelor’s degrees across all STEM fields, with Black women accounting for only 5% of that total.

For girls like Heven, this presents an extra challenge when pursuing success in STEM employment, higher education and careers.

re-engineering STEM for girls of color

That’s where Techbridge Girls comes in. Their specialized training programs draw on girls’ interests and experiences, creating access to high-quality STEM learning that empowers and inspires students from all backgrounds to achieve their full potential.

We’ve been behind them every step of the way for nearly 12 years, so girls like Heven know that a STEM career can open the path to opportunities and help change their lives.

“I don't think STEM or being in technology, mathematics or science has a gender to it,” she said. “Anyone can be involved—and if you enjoy it, why not try it? I want to cross that line and be able to make that change."

leading fearlessly

Josetta Jones, chief diversity and inclusion officer at Chevron, has volunteered with Techbridge Girls for almost two decades. She received a degree in chemical engineering prior to attending law school and also served as a member of the Techbridge Girls Regional Advisory Council of California.

“This program is inspiring young girls, giving them hope and opportunities to see women like them leading fearlessly in STEM fields,” Josetta said.

“When we’re talking about science, technology, engineering and mathematics, people of color matter in this space. We are innovative. It’s not just incumbent upon one segment of the society to create.”

josetta jones

chevron’s chief diversity and inclusion officer and techbridge volunteer

investing in tomorrow’s talent

Since those early days of partnership in 2008, Chevron has invested more than $3 million in support toward Techbridge Girls’ programming expansion and success. Here’s a look:

background

Infographic saying: 2008- Chevron partners with Techbridge Girls' San Francisco Bay Area programs, 2014- Chevron helps fund Techbridge Girls' Washington D.C., metro area programs and expansion, 2017- Chevron launches support for Techbridge Girls' general operations, 2021- Chevron announces a major financial contribution to support Techbridge Girls and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) to launch SEEK Summer Camp designed for middle school girls of color, 2022- Chevron hosts a STEM camp for 100+ students from Cathedral City Elementary with activities created by Techbridge Girls and the Fab Foundation during The Chevron Championship golf tournament in Rancho Mirage, CA

why it matters

Quality education is critical to help achieve social equality, advance racial equity and enable human progress. In 2020, Chevron pledged $15 million to support Black employees and the Black community across four strategic pillars:

  • Education
  • Job creation
  • Talent and leadership development
  • Community and small business partnerships

From 2020-2022, we invested $3 million in K-12 education programs to continue our ongoing commitment to racial equity via our work with Techbridge Girls and other partner organizations.

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