Launch of Million Girls Moonshot boosts STEM learning for girls across the country

After a long-anticipated countdown, the Million Girls Moonshot officially launched on September 16. Established by the STEM Next Opportunity Fund in partnership with the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Intel Foundation, and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the effort will engage one million school-age girls in the U.S. in STEM learning opportunities over the next five years. The organizations will provide grant funding and in-kind resources to the statewide afterschool networks in all 50 states to increase access to hands-on, immersive STEM learning experiences in afterschool and summer programs.

The Afterschool Alliance is proud to continue our partnership with the STEM Next Opportunity Fund and support the Million Girls Moonshot. We’ve seen how integral afterschool programs can be to building interest and identities in STEM among girls and are excited to embark on this mission together.

To better understand why an initiative like this is needed, take a look at the disparities between men and women in STEM fields. While women make up half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, they comprise just 16 percent of engineers, for example. Black and Latina women have even less representation, at approximately two percent each. With economic projections pointing to a need for one million more STEM professionals than the country will produce at its current rate over the next decade, engaging and keeping more girls in STEM pursuits will be critically important for solving our nation’s most pressing challenges. Afterschool provides a perfect opportunity to engage more young women in STEM learning.

Over the past several decades, afterschool and out-of-school programs have developed expertise in providing the kind of immersive, hands-on learning experiences that are critical to helping students gain fluency in STEM subjects. This school year, the opportunity is even greater as students and families face many more hours outside of the traditional classroom. From running STEM activities virtually and distributing STEM kits to students, to offering small-group, in-person services on remote school days and during traditional afterschool hours, afterschool programs have stepped up to keep students engaged and learning. The potential for impact is enormous: The nation’s 100,000 afterschool programs serve more than 10 million young people.

To support programs as they pivot to meet students’ needs, the Million Girls Moonshot will provide afterschool networks with technical assistance, educational resources, access to Intel’s She Will Connect partners and mentorship from STEM experts, including Intel employee volunteers. The initiative leverages more than $300 million in investments made by the Mott Foundation in the past two decades to advance afterschool programs and systems, including the development of afterschool networks in all 50 states, as well as Mizzen by Mott, an app to provide afterschool educators with free access to high-quality content. Through consistent, equity-focused STEM programming and mentorship that engages girls throughout their youth, the Million Girls Moonshot will help weave together opportunities, ensuring that girls are inspired and supported to continue pursuing STEM in high school and beyond.

The Afterschool Alliance is looking forward to embarking on this journey together and will be sure to share updates on the work happening in afterschool STEM programs across the country. Stay tuned to the Afterschool Snack for highlights from the Million Girls Moonshot.