We are thrilled to announce that High-Tech High Heels Co-President Heidi Means has been awarded the Community Hero award at last week’s Tech Titans Awards Gala. The prestigious annual event, first held in 2001, recognizes companies and individuals who are making contributions both to their fields and their communities. The Community Hero award is given to an individual within the technology industry for outstanding achievements in community involvement. Congratulations Heidi, and thanks for all your hard work on behalf of HTHH and North Texas girls in STEM!
Did you know U.S. women are earning fewer degrees in STEM fields today than they were a decade ago? According to this Washington Post article, bachelor’s degrees earned by women have declined in every category—from engineering to mathematics to computer sciences.
Photo credit: Washington Post
These statistics are unacceptable by any standard. High-Tech High Heels is committed to changing the trend, and the high-quality programs we fund are making a measurable impact to close the gender gap in STEM fields.
For example: since 2001, 996 girls have attended the Physics Camp delivered by our partner Design Connect Create!. Based on a 2006 Dallas ISD cohort, girls who attended Physics Camp were 2.6x more likely to earn a STEM degree and 5x more likely to earn an engineering degree than non-campers. Our support allows DCC to continue scaling the camp to allow more girls to attend.
Another example is how National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) is improving STEM gender equity among educators. NAPE’s programs build awareness and enhance skills in equity training, as well as dispel stereotypes about STEM careers. Since 2001, 767 STEM teachers have attended gender equity training, and 940 counselors have attended workshops on STEM careers in DFW. NAPE has reached about 40,000 students annually. Here is a recent video that shows NAPE’s impact.
Since High-Tech High Heels was founded, we have granted more than $410,000 to programs that further our mission. In 2015, in addition to funding our core programs, we funded exciting new programs to increase our impact. 2015 was our highest granting year to date, yet we still have more to do.
Your donations enable us to provide grants to more organizations and programs that close the gender gap in STEM. By introducing your colleagues, family and friends to High-Tech High Heels, you educate others about the reality of the gender gap and empower them to make a difference. Together, let’s change the statistics.
HTHH board member and TI employee Kristen Parrish explains the technology behind autonomous vehicles and the break-through innovations that will soon allow cars to drive by themselves. Watch the video explaining the technology that allows autonomous vehicles to evaluate and assess the world around them, and how vehicles will be taken from partial to full autonomy in the future.
We’re so proud of Martha Gonzales and her daughters, Kristine, Kimberly and Karen, who were featured in an NBC5 story about engineering mentors for Hispanic Heritage Month. The Gonzales family has been involved with High-Tech High Heels programs for years, and they recently spoke at the#LatinasinSTEM101 conference in Dallas to inspire future engineers. Read their story and be inspired!
