DISD’s Irma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School and GPISD’s Young Women’s Leadership Academy to Join the Effort
Today, the Frontiers of Flight Museum announced how grants from Boeing, Exxon Mobil Corporation, PPG Industries Foundation, Time Warner Cable, Gulfstream, and Fluor have enabled the Museum to launch a new education program titled the “Young Women’s STEM Leadership Initiative,” which is currently underway this school year. Visit www.flightmuseum.com.
The initiative is a collaborative effort between Dallas ISD's Irma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School and Grand Prairie ISD’s Young Women’s Leadership Academy. Both are public all-girl’s schools in the D/FW area which emphasize leadership, as well as STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.
The Museum’s program encourages underserved female students in their pursuit of STEM related disciplines. The initiative helps increase the students’ knowledge of STEM-related principles in aerospace; and awareness of and interest in aerospace and STEM careers. It also enhances analytical and problem solving skills and provides leadership skill building opportunities.
“In partnering with these two schools, the Museum aims to increase the girls’ understanding of aerospace while instilling confidence in STEM education,” said Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Frontiers of Flight Museum. “This is particularly exciting because it may encourage many young women to consider careers in aviation and aerospace. The community as a whole and the aerospace industry in particular will benefit from more young women pursuing STEM careers and aerospace jobs.”
Thanks to the Museum’s Young Women’s STEM Leadership Initiative local students are being exposed to a variety of STEM related educational opportunities throughout the school year.
More than 600 students are participating in guided museum tours as well as onsite and outreach educational programming. Additional education opportunities include special programs during Engineers Week and a one-week immersive camp during Spring Break, which offers an in-depth STEM based experience to increase analytical and problem solving skills through experimentation and hands-on learning.
Other benefits include paid internships for 10 upper-class young women students to assist teachers with spring break camp, and 16 internships and 10 scholarships for the Museum’s Flight School Summer Camp classes.
The Frontiers of Flight Museum is using the Young Women’s STEM Leadership Initiative to enhance the effectiveness of its current education programs while extending its reach to serve more girls. “This initiative gave us a roadmap with a clear course to enhance our quality STEM programming with new resources and activities that will help us inspire and empower young women across North Texas,” said Sutterfield-Jones.
By the year 2016, there will be a talent gap of 7 million skilled workers in the United States -- jobs requiring science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills that are not being developed according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, 20.4% of the workforce is currently in STEM positions; over the next 5 years the region is expected to experience the 4th largest STEM growth in the country. Women make up less than 25% of participants in STEM programs nationally and are at particularly low levels in aviation.
“Statistics suggest that there is tremendous growth opportunity for young women in STEM education and related careers,” said Sutterfield-Jones. “Thanks to the support for our Young Women’s STEM Leadership Institute, the Frontiers of Flight Museum is better able to meet the accelerated demand for its outstanding STEM education programs. These efforts help contribute to increased technical literacy in the short-term, resulting in better-skilled employees in the long-term with a lasting impact on our community.”
About the Frontiers of Flight Museum
The Frontiers of Flight Museum, a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate, is a gem in the North Texas community that attracts over 100,000 visitors annually including 30,000 students. The Museum is conveniently located just north of downtown on Lemmon Avenue at the southeast side of Dallas Love Field Airport, north of Mockingbird Lane.
Housed in a modern 100,000-square-foot facility, the Frontiers of Flight Museum provides a focal point to explore the history and progress of aviation, as mankind continues to pursue going higher, faster and farther. Educational classes for all ages are offered throughout the year, designed to excite the imagination in science, technology, engineering, and math through spacecraft design, aerodynamics, model-building, space survival, and other disciplines.
For information call: (214) 350-1651 or visit www.flightmuseum.com.