Lakeland-based Florida Polytechnic University will soon be working with local high schools to help boost STEM interest among girls, thanks to a newly secured grant.
Two professors at the STEM-focused university received a $10,000 grant from the American Association of University Women. The grant will allow them to work with high school-aged girls and educate them about career possibilities in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, which are typically male-dominated.
“The overall goal is to open students’ eyes prior to them leaving high school,” said Susan LeFrancois, a Florida Polytechnic assistant professor of data science and business analytics. “We want to show them that these are the things that they’re capable of and that they can embrace. We want to show them the types of careers that could be a reality for them in the future.”
Florida Poly will use the funding to purchase STEM kits highlighting the school's areas of studies and host students from Polk County high schools on the school's campus for educational activities. The kits and visits will not be solely earmarked for high school girls but strongly emphasize that demographic.
“It’s so important to try to increase the number of female students on campus, not only for Florida Poly but for society, to show women they’re supported and wanted in these types of fields,” LeFrancois said in a statement.
The university will also work with the local schools to provide prerecorded and live lessons in STEM disciplines, furthering the high schools' curriculum.
Florida Poly's "THRIVE" on-campus organization will also work with the students in events, including International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
“There’s still that stigma out there that even though we as a society – and especially at Florida Poly – are really progressive, that STEM is more a male field to go into,” Indira Sukhraj, associate director of educational outreach at the university, said in a statement. “But STEM is for everyone.”
