Axios' Alison Snyder and Bryan Walsh hosted a conversation on the future of STEM education, featuring host and executive producer of CBS' "Mission Unstoppable" Miranda Cosgrove, Girls Who Code CEO Reshma Saujani and Lyda Hill Philanthropies CEO Nicole Small.
Reshma Saujani unpacked the pandemic's impact on Girls Who Code programming and their alumni, as well as the current cultural climate of Silicon Valley and the tech world.
- On COVID-19's impact on girls in STEM: "About 30% of [our] college-age alumni had their internships or their full time offers reneged. Almost 30% of our students had a parent or guardian lose their job."
- On lack of opportunities for women and people of color in tech: "It's not a pipeline problem. It is still a bro culture. Until we change that, until Silicon Valley admits that all nerds are not welcome, we will continue to not solve this problem."
Miranda Cosgrove and Nicole Small discussed the importance of creating STEM programming specific to young women and reaching them on their preferred mediums.
- Miranda Cosgrove on what the show "Mission Unstoppable" brings to its young audience: "I just think the show does a really good job of showing all different kinds of people and letting little girls know what different job opportunities are out there in STEM."
- Nicole Small on the #stemlife TikTok campaign: "This is part of that strategy of, we need to meet girls where they are...So instead of trying to fight that, if you can't beat them, join them."
Axios' Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dominique Taylor hosted a View from the Top segment with General Motors Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Sustainability Communications Hina Baloch and discussed the student-age experience of the pandemic.
- "Such a long period of [disrupted] learning causes dire outcomes for poor students and particularly for students who are from marginalized and minority groups. At General Motors...we built hands-on learning projects [in STEM] that students can do at home with their parents or with their teachers or guardian and really gave them an opportunity for immersive learning in STEM."
Thank you GM for sponsoring this event.