The University of Colorado Boulder has been chosen as the host organization for the statewide Colorado Collaborative for Girls in STEM, an organization focused on enhancing girls’ education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.
The Collaborative brings together educational institutions and community organizations from across the state, including the Community College of Denver, Metro State University, Colorado BioScience Association, Skyline High School, National Center for Women in IT, and the Girl Scouts of Colorado, to build organizational capacity and facilitate collaborative partnerships that expand opportunities for girls in STEM.
The Colorado Collaborative will hold a kick-off conference, “Take Flight with the Colorado Girls Collaborative: Building Opportunities for Girls in STEM,” on Wednesday, Nov. 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the St. Cajetan’s Center at Metro State University, on the Auraria Campus in Denver. The event will gather more than 120 individuals dedicated to Colorado STEM initiatives, and it will launch the organization’s statewide efforts.
The Colorado Collaborative for Girls in STEM is an affiliate of the National Girls Collaborative Project, a National Science Foundation-funded initiative to advance gender equity in STEM. The vision of the National Girls Collaborative Project is to bring together organizations committed to informing and encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM. Through the initiative, organizations can compare needs and resources, share information, and plan strategically to expand STEM-related opportunities for girls.
“The Colorado Collaborative for Girls in STEM provides opportunities for local organizations to connect with each other and leverage their resources in a way that maximizes our overall impact in the state,” said Stacey Forsyth, director of CU-Boulder Science Discovery and co-chair for the Colorado Collaborative for Girls. “CU-Boulder will serve as a home for the project but the Collaborative’s activities are managed by a Leadership Team representing multiple organizations. It truly is a collaborative effort, and it’s encouraging to see the large number of individuals and organizations who are committed to this project.”
CU-Boulder is home to more than 45 STEM education programs, many of which are nationally recognized and replicated. The university aims to set new standards in education, research, scholarship, and creative work to help transform STEM education on campus and beyond.
With CU-Boulder as a convener, the Colorado Collaborative for Girls will host a variety of free or low-cost professional development opportunities, such as the Nov. 28 “Take Flight” conference.
For more information about the National Girls Collaborative Project and the Colorado Collaborative for Girls in STEM, visit http://www.ngcproject.org/.