High school girls get a STEM boost at Cal State LA
More than 30 high school girls shot off homemade bottle rockets on Tuesday, July 25, learning aerodynamics as part of Cal State Los Angeles’ Launchpad Summer Program. For two weeks these young women have conquered gender and age barriers, as well as 95 degree heat, immersing themselves in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM.
“It’s such a great program and I get to work hands-on,” said Amelia Martinez, a 17-year-old from the San Gabriel Valley. “I’ve been involved with STEM programs since seventh grade, but this one makes me feel so welcomed since I’m not one of the only girls in the room.”
Teenage girls who hailed from dozens of communities stretching from Monrovia, Pasadena and Burbank, to Huntingon Park, South Los Angeles, Los Feliz and La Crescenta – spent much of July exploring STEM and fueling their imaginations.
They learned about tech fields such as sustainable energy, biomedical engineering and computer science – but these weren’t typical lecture classes. The young women worked with real equipment on real science problems, from constructing robotic arms for people with disabilities to watching their code come to life with virtual reality headsets.
“They offer a multitude of scientific disciplines and I really like being here,” said Camilla Chan, 17, of Alhambra. “I want to (study) computer engineering in college and this allows me to try that out, but also experience things like aerospace and biomedical engineering.”
The Launchpad program got its start in 2015, with the goal of reaching a diverse group of girls in the Los Angeles area. Since then, it’s served hundreds of students,and it’s completely free.
“It’s so encouraging to inspire other young women,” said Shambhavi Bhandari, a junior at Cal State L.A. and program volunteer. “As a woman of color, I never had opportunities like this in high school, but that’s why this is so important. We’re bridging the gap.”
Cal State L.A. civil engineering professor Sonya Lopez, the director of Launchpad, hopes to increase the number of women pursuing STEM careers, since they make up only 29.3 percent of STEM professionals, according to a 2019 report by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
“This program is bigger than Cal State L.A. and it’s bigger than us,” Lopez said. “It’s about investing in our students, in young women, and giving them a place where they feel comfortable to ask questions.”
As a woman of color in STEM, Lopez said it makes her “a whole person” to give back to her community.
In addition to the many hands-on activities, the girls had the opportunity to hear from women working in STEM fields. They attended talks by women working at companies like Boeing and Google, allowing them to see what’s in store for them.
“I made some really great friends and it’s been so cool to come up with ideas and attempt different things together,” said 17-year-old Angela Bustos from Downey. She plans to be a computer programmer.