Techbridge Girls

On this momentous Inauguration Day, Techbridge Girls CEO Nikole Collins-Puri reflects: Today I get to see the first Black woman that looks like me, that has a story like me, sit in one of the highest positions of our country. I’m so hopeful for what this brings... I’m excited about the future. I’m excited about her leadership, and I’m excited about what our girls will believe is normal for them going forward. We cannot wait to enter this new chapter as our girls see themselves represented in Kamala Harris, a #rolemodel who exemplifies what it means to #leadfearlessly. Congratulations to her and Joe Biden for being sworn in today.

"We close the divide because we know to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside." Thank you Amanda Gorman for rising up to this momentous day, being a beacon of light, and helping our country be brave. #Inauguration2021 #LeadFearlessly

This #MLKJrDay we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his commitment to creating a more equitable world, with this list of books from @diversifyournarrative. Join us in exploring these books to #diversifyournarrative, get insight into others' experiences, and build a better future that empowers our community to uplift our girls and dismantle barriers and systems of injustice.

In the midst of witnessing violence against our democracy last week, we continue to have hope and find joy in the persistence, creativity, and strength of our community. As we work to increase access to quality #STEM learning so that girls from low-income communities can achieve economic mobility through STEM, we’re celebrating the brilliance and accomplishments of our girls across the U.S. We’re celebrating the hard work of fearless Black women organizers and leaders, like Stacey Abrams, to make sure every vote was counted in GA. And we’re celebrating all of you with your generosity, we exceeded our year-end fundraising goal. Together, we’ll make 2021 a bright year as we empower even more girls to lead in the #STEMrevolution.

After seeing Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett speak at our gala, and now seeing her in the news, our girls recently shared how Dr. Corbett's leadership on the Moderna COVID-19 #vaccine continues to #encourage and #empower them. As middle school student Naemi shared: "People doubt #women and so I think it is cool how she is still helping them. It’s cool how she came to talk to us because I would love to know more about her. It's nice what she did because people have so much hate." Dr. Corbett continues to break barriers and is paving the way for our girls to lead in the #STEMrevolution alongside her. Thank you Dr. Corbett for being an extraordinary role model, and for your #essentialwork to save countless lives.

A message of hope from our CEO Nikole Collins-Puri: It has been a challenging week as we witnessed the blatant, bold, loud, proud, and violent act against our democracy. This America is not new for those of us who experience the blatant, bold, loud (or soft and subtle), violent and proud acts of disrespect, unfairness, and violation of our liberties. But, in that same breath, we know an America that has fought, died, and triumphed over injustices, war, pandemics, and economic... fallout. And, in those moments, we were united, grounded in our beliefs and values, and marching toward a better tomorrow. My hope is that we, all of us, can no longer be complacent, naive, or sheltered by the two Americas in which we live in. Both are our truths, and this week showed that reality. Our work at Techbridge Girls forces us to live in these two truths every day. We are fighting a system that tells our girls they are not worthy with the hope that we are making a system better that is worthy of their brilliance. 2020 showed us we could not stop this work. And, 2021 has reinforced the road will not be easy. But, we must keep going. If not for us, for those who will lead our tomorrow.

Happy #NewYear! We’re jumping into the new year with high #hopes for what’s to come for our girls as we #celebrate the #growth and #impact ahead. With support from all of our community members, we’re excited to increase access for our girls from low-income communities to thrive and #leadfearlessly in the #STEM #revolution in 2021 and beyond.

It's World Science Day! Today (and every day!) our girls are exploring new solutions and growing into our future #STEM leaders -- just like Techbridge Girls alumna Aileen Iniguez. After participating in our programs in Oakland, CA, Aileen discovered her passion for STEM. As one of the first in her family to attend college, Aileen studied Applied Mathematics at U.C. Berkeley and ultimately pursued a career as a data scientist at Chevron. Learn more about what Aileen is doing to #LeadFearlessly as she encourages other girls to develop their passion and persistence: https://techbridgegirls.org/index.php?id=535

We’re grateful for F5's continued support of Techbridge Girls, and for their commitment to closing the gap for girls of color in STEM. Thank you for highlighting our partnership in this post published yesterday in celebration of #NationalSTEMDay!

It's one of our favorite days of the year: #NationalSTEMDay! We want to uplift NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration and their Artemis Program to land the first woman on the Moon by 2024. They will be exploring and experimenting on the surface of the Moon, and based on what they learn, they will use that information to begin sustainable space exploration. We’re excited to see how far space exploration has come since 1987 when Mae Jemison made history as the first black woman to travel in space. We’re grateful to her for paving the way for our girls to follow in her footsteps, and to NASA for the strides, they’ve made in integrating more women into International Space Station programs since 2001! #leadfearlessly

Today, we celebrate the path that Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris has blazed as the first Black woman and the first Asian American to hold the nation’s second highest office. We’re grateful and excited that our girls will see themselves represented in the White House, especially through a woman with strong connections to STEM through her mother, who was a cancer researcher and activist. We’re also reminded that, as Vice President-Elect Harris shared: We have a lot of work ahead of us. Let’s get started. #LeadFearlessly

This election has further highlighted the deep divisions in our country -- but it has also reaffirmed our commitment to bringing our community together to continue supporting and uplifting our girls from low-income communities. As our CEO Nikole Collins-Puri shares, We must come together as a nation to create an equitable world that uplifts, empowers, and demands that we do better for everyone. Not for today, not for our past, but the future generations. https://www.linkedin.com//get-off-roller-coaster-own-your/

Today is election day. No matter the outcome, we're excited to see Kamala Harris as the first woman of color on a major party's presidential ticket. Her nomination and campaign have made history, and she’s shown the world that all girls -- no matter your race, neighborhood, or background -- can make a difference.

Mark your calendars - #GivingTuesday is one month away! We’ll be hosting a fundraiser right here on our Facebook page for #GivingTuesday on December 1, where you’ll be able to donate to empower girls from low-income communities to realize entirely new pathways for #STEM career success. Make sure to save the date so you can join us in creating greater access to high-quality STEM enrichment for our girls!

Feliz Día de los Muertos to all of our girls and community members who are honoring their family, friends, and other loved ones who are no longer with us today. They may not be physically present anymore, but our memories can keep them alive in our hearts.

Halloween may not be the same this year, but that just means a different kind of fun for our girls & community! We can all still dress up and have spooky movie marathons from the comfort and safety of our homes and avoid large gatherings.

Our girls are navigating multiple barriers, including lack of access to high-quality #STEM education, access to high-speed internet, and the impact of systemic racism. You can help us start to dismantle those barriers with one simple action: cast your #vote by November 3. With 5 days left until the election, speak up through your vote and join us in fighting for what’s right!

Veronica L., 16-year-old Techbridge Girls alumna, recently shared some reflections on her STEM journey and how community building can create change: I am caught up in the middle of a pandemic and a national election; yet I am expected to act like normal and to adapt The same way Techbridge Girls has fought for student and women’s rights, I will continue on that legacy and become a voice for the unheard. With 6 days until the election, follow this link to learn more about how Veronica continues to #LeadFearlessly, and get inspired to use YOUR voice to create change by voting before November 3: https://www.techbridgegirls.org/index.php?id=537

Today our CEO Nikole Collins-Puri accepted the 2020 Million Women Mentors Trailblazer Awards for being a #CommunityTrailblazer! This award recognizes Nikole as an #innovator who has made considerable contributions to her peers and community, and as a well-accomplished #leader who has demonstrated excellence in the field of #mentoring. #blackwomanceo

There are just 10 days left until Election Day! Make sure you #vote to ensure that our girls’ brilliance can truly shine. To get all the voting information you might need, and to learn more about options on your ballot, visit the When We All Vote Voters Resources Hub here: https://www.whenweallvote.org/vrh/

To close out #NationalChemistryWeek, we want to highlight today’s #trailblazers. This past August, a group of women started #BlackinChem week to celebrate black chemists of the past, present, and future. Several of them are going to be the first Black women receiving PhDs in their fields, and we cannot wait to see how they continue to #leadfearlessly for our girls. Check out https://www.blackinchem.com/ to learn more.