This week, the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP), a founding partner of the Million Women Mentors (MWM) initiative, will announce over 100,000 new STEM mentor commitments from more than 20 states. The goal of the movement is to garner one million mentors in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) professions over the next four years, to collectively increase the interest and confidence of girls and young women in these academic areas.
The 22 states that will announce commitments include: Alaska, California, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Oklahoma and the District of Columbia. Each mentor will commit to a minimum of 20 hours and the initiative has five suggested mentor pathways. For more information on the pledge, visit www.MillionWomenMentors.org.
“We salute the state-level leadership and know how hard they have worked to submit the mentoring pledges,” said Edie Fraser, CEO of STEMconnector and Million Women Mentors. “Adding these new pledges to the 93,000 already made through our official site MillionWomenMentors.org takes us to the 200,000-mark – which is tremendous since our four year initiative only launched in January, 2014.”
Spearheading the national push and call to action is Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa. Lt. Governor Reynolds will announce Iowa’s mentoring commitment and has recently issued a challenge to her fellow lieutenant governors to mobilize the business communities in their states to commit to Million Women Mentors pledges.
"The Million Women Mentors initiative is an opportunity to become actively involved in mentoring. Mentors will be able to guide, encourage, and open doors for young women to be fully equipped for the great jobs of tomorrow in STEM-related careers," said Lieutenant Governor Reynolds. "In the United States, STEM is a driving force behind economic growth, stability, and educational success. That's why we're creating an environment in Iowa that prepares all of our students with the necessary skills to compete in a global knowledge-based economy."
Tennessee Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey also stepped up in leadership and support for a significant mentor pledge and leadership in his State. “I am proud to support the Million Women Mentors initiative in our state and look forward to the positive results it will bring. With evidence showing a lack of women and girls entering STEM programs and careers, it is more important than ever to translate strong STEM outreach and advocacy into action. I encourage the people of Tennessee, corporations and STEM-serving organizations to support MWM by taking the ‘pledge-to-mentor”, he said.
The state of Tennessee will pledge 10,000 mentors and has a strong steering committee to assist in accomplishing this pledge.
For additional details about the Mentor Fireworks Announcement and to learn more about how your state or organization can get involved, visit: www.millionwomenmentors.org.