Grant to to Support STREAM Program for Girls

Oceanside CA— Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO) received a $10,000 grant from Soroptimist International Oceanside-Carlsbad to provide the STREAMing Ahead program for the Club’s female members.
BGCO has a strong focus in Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STREAM) education to engage youth outside the classroom, which gives them a chance to explore STREAM fields.

The Club is working to bridge the gap between gender biases in STEM fields. Science and math have typically been seen as “male” fields. Although this generalization is not true for all, there is evidence to suggest that girls begin to lose interest in math and science around middle school and begin to score lower as their confidence in these fields drops. Programs like STREAMing Ahead aim to keep confidence high and give girls the tools they need to combat stereotypes to succeed in male-dominated fields.
STREAMing Ahead aspires to open their horizons to career opportunities inside STREAM fields through hands-on experiences and field trips. It also gives girls the chance to interact with and be inspired by women in STREAM jobs. Field trips have included Girls in Aviation Day, Digigirlz and the Sally Ride Science Academy.
“It’s important to introduce our girls to successful women in the STREAM fields,” said Jodi Diamond, CEO. “With all the negativity our girls are exposed to through social media, it can be challenging to find positive role models. STREAMing Ahead will engage our female members and give them the freedom to experiment and find what really excites and interests them.”
For more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside please contact Hannah Moss at HMoss@BGCOceanside.org, call (760) 433-8920, and visit our website BGCOceanside.org or Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/BGCOside .