Although women fill about half of America’s jobs, they represent nearly 25% of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics jobs; minorities account for an even less percentage. This has consistently been the case for decades, even though women and minority women college degree attainment rates have increased by 49% in 2009. The percent of women with a doctorate working in STEM jobs is still only about half of that of men with a doctorate. Even as women are obtain these valuable occupations, they are still compensated with much less than men: for every dollar a man makes in STEM, a woman will only earn 86 cents.

 

By 2018, 2.7 million new jobs will be available in STEM - science, technology, engineering, mathematics fields. STEM fields are one of the fastest growing and highest paid fields but women, specifically minority women, are continuously underrepresented. In 2010, women of color represented only 10% of science and engineering jobs. Our mission is to build awareness about the lack of minority women in STEM fields, eliminate barriers of opportunities, foster learning and academic success, and cultivate leadership by bringing together the top leaders of today with the striving leaders of tomorrow.

 

E^3: Empowering, Encouraging, Eliminating Barriers is a one-on-one mentoring group for motivated, underprivileged, and/or disadvantaged female students in grades 9-12. We are a student run organization consisting of college mentors and high school mentees. There are weekly meetings on Saturdays every month from February to the end of April (time and place to be determined).