I recently had the opportunity to participate in a STEM showcase held by a middle school in the Houston area. This experience allowed me to reach out and connect with individuals and increased my awareness about the lack of understanding of Computer Science and Data Science in my community.
Introduction
I first learned about a STEM festival scheduled at a middle school in my area, so I reached out to the principal to inquire if I could set up a booth for my organization, CODE. CODE aims to provide young women with the tools they need to pursue their passions in STEM. I was grateful to receive an invitation to participate in the STEM showcase and began preparing to set up my booth there.
Although I was nervous about planning and organizing a booth there, I was ready to introduce young middle school girls to the possibilities within Computer Science and Data Science. Started by a teen (me), Coding Outreach and Data Science Empowerment (CODE) is a platform for girls who are beginners to learn more about STEM, specifically dealing in the world of computing and data science.
On the day of the event, my expectations were modest, but I was pleasantly surprised as a steady stream of students and their parents visited my booth, eager to learn about what Data Science entails. Since the event was a STEM showcase for parents, students and community; I took this opportunity to ask girls who came to my booth about what interests them the most in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math. I gave a brief introduction about Data Science being an interdisciplinary field using Math, Statistics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence to analyze data. The most striking realization was that many young girls had little to no awareness of Data Science, let alone the opportunities it could offer. This opened my eyes to the importance of direct engagement and educational outreach to young girls to present STEM as an achievable goal. Additionally, I observed how other booths generated excitement and interest in science through demonstrations and experiments. In future community outreach efforts, I plan to incorporate hands-on activities to foster enthusiasm for STEM, challenging the misconception that it is a dull field.
Conclusion
The event was an opportunity to connect young, curious minds to the exciting world of STEM. It highlighted the importance of making STEM accessible for future generations by broadening awareness. Attending this event has inspired me to continue to reach out to my community to help empower young girls by demystifying Computer Science and Data Science. Additionally, witnessing the activities at numerous other booths inspired me to develop future initiatives in the community aimed at generating excitement about STEM.