InspireHER STEM Equip Empower Connect
Facilitating remote connections between global Female STEM Professionals, International Corporations and Vulnerable girls in Kenya.
Our solution provides an early start Lifeskills and Career planning and mentorship to technology career pathways for high school girls in Kenya.
According to statistics from Kibera slum survey, unemployment (12.9 percent) ranked as one of the most important needs/concerns by slum dwellers. Women involvement in STEM-related careers which are critical to research and development of innovative ideas continues to decline due to implicit bias, environmental and social barriers based on research by AAUW.
The solution provides access to ICT Networking and Technology Role Models, App Development Challenges, 21st-century digital skills training while incorporating fun, engaging hands-on STEM innovation activities and virtual career tours from STEM professionals across the globe. At the completion of our program,we expect girls to graduate with atleast one IT industry credential filling the global STEM gender gap.
Significant barriers such as poverty, early marriages,teen pregnancy, cultural and social practices, gender biases, and unsafe or unwelcoming learning environments continue to inhibit girls and young women from exploring learning opportunities to career choices beyond Kenya.
Girls remain vulnerable to sexual abuse and harassment leading to unwanted and teenage pregnancies and as such, they lead in the Kenyan unemployment rate compared to their male counterparts.They are forced to depend on their abusers.
In Kenya, the Youth aged between 18-34 based on the recent Kenyan census 2019 report indicates that 5.3million youth in this age bracket are not working.
World Bank data flagged Kenya as having the highest rate of youth joblessness in East Africa in 2015 with 17% of the youth eligible to work. The report indicates that out of 800,000 Kenyans who reach working age, only about 500,000 are likely to find a stable source of income. Corruption in Kenya is an obstacle to the youth’s hope for a better life.It closes opportunities for foreign companies to branch out to Kenya for fear of prosecution from their home countries for taking bribes. This limits access to job market opportunities. With our network platform girls can access remote job opportunities.
Students interested in our technology pathway, learn block programming with Scratch, MIT app Inventor and networking with role models. In Highschool, First Year we introduce Digital technology, Basics and computer software and hardware, Second Year we introduce Business Fundamentals and Computer Networking Basics, Third Year we introduce Computer Networking Systems and Support. In the fourth year we guide them through selecting a post secondary Course.
1. InspireHER STEM clubs: Equip Educators and Community based organizations with a framework on Technology career related education activities that provide in demand employability skills development, Career Exploration, Career Awareness and Test Preparation for entry level industry credential in addition to high school diploma.
2.Technology Pathway Role Models: Introduce a girl day to your STEM story is our social platform and role model database to connect students with girl role models that are Computer Network Architects, Network Administrators,Specialists, Database Administrators,Systems Analysts, Graphic Designers,Programmers to provide virtual tours,video interview preparation, virtual training, online apprenticeships and on the job training.
3.High School Career ToolKit: Guide students in courses to take each year coupled with InspireHER STEM career activities to earn a global industry credential that matches their selected career field in addition to their high school diploma.
Our solution directly targets girls in upper primary (Grade 5- 8) and secondary school (Form 1-Form 4). We also target Teenage Mothers, School Dropouts, Single Mothers, Slum Residents, Parents, Guardians,Teachers and community based leaders.
We hold Menstrual Health Awareness Focus Groups through our InspireHER Period bank initiative and STEM focus groups to engage students and guardians to discuss perceptions, attitudes, behaviours, social norms and stereotypes towards technology, reproductive health and STEM related courses and careers.
Based on focus group feedback, STEM classes performance, we develop follow up case studies and engage students that are both interested in STEM and those that have negative views of STEM to discuss strategies in developing training activities that would change their perception. We use a peer to peer mentorship approach in guiding and enhancing our framework.
Students that graduate come back as role models to the entry level beneficiaries creating a strong network for job opportunities.
Our solution will develop a growth mindset training to STEM subjects for teachers, parents & guardians. Develops interest and retain students while promoting gender equality in STEM based entrepreneurship and innovation through STEM challenges. Girls we empower will be leaders not only in Technology but in STEM.
- Strengthen competencies, particularly in STEM and digital literacy, for girls and young women to effectively transition from education to employment
Human Resources reports students and the adults around them, including school counselors and teachers, hold incorrect biases about the aptitude or traits young people must have to belong and thrive in STEM fields. With InspireHER STEM, we are expanding the opportunities for remote career success,changing community perception towards girls and women in STEM, leveraging role models to create a day in the life of virtual tours, job ready trainings and internships. According to data from Global Workplace Analytics, over the last 10 years, remote work has grown 91% in the United States and 159% over the last 12 years.
- Growth: An organization with an established product, service, or business model rolled out in one or, ideally, several communities, which is poised for further growth
- A new business model or process
Our solution is one of a Kind in the Kenyan market. Most Education to Career preparation begins after high school when vulnerable girls have little structure around them to support their advancement to higher education.
Most of our beneficiaries can barely afford to finish high school let alone consider college due to financial constraints. By providing structured training with hands on activities, FREE access to role models and sponsoring an entry level certificate to youth apprenticeship we get them in the workforce faster using technical skills.
Computer Hardware and Software - For hands on projects
CISCO Networking Devices - For hands on computer networking training and industry test preparation
Social media platforms - For Digital Skills Development and communication
MIT Scratch - For Introduction to coding concepts
Block App Programming - For app innovation Challenges
Learning management systems - For content delivery and learning assessments.
Database Systems - For student and role model tracking
Artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze student behavior and track student outcomes.
Computer hardwares and softwares are widely used technology tools in the workplace. Basic knowledge of these skills is necessary to thrive and succeed in tomorrows opportunities.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning is used in todays applications to drive better student-teacher engagement.
Remote and Virtual trainings use
- Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
- Audiovisual Media
- Behavioral Technology
- Big Data
- Crowdsourced Service / Social Networks
- Robotics and Drones
- Women & Girls
- Children & Adolescents
- Rural
- Poor
- Low-Income
- Refugees & Internally Displaced Persons
- Minorities & Previously Excluded Populations
- Persons with Disabilities
- 1. No Poverty
- 3. Good Health and Well-Being
- 5. Gender Equality
- 7. Affordable and Clean Energy
- 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
- 9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- 16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
- 17. Partnerships for the Goals
- Kenya
- United States
- Kenya
- United States
Currently 50 Students per semester - 150 a year
One Year estimate - 300
In Five Years - 3000
Access to financial resources and role models is a barrier to scale.
Donations, grants and Volunteers
- Nonprofit
Fulltime 4 and volunteer role models
We are a collaborative effort of STEM professionals, girl serving organizations schools and community based organizations with a similar mission to prepare girls for 21st century job opportunities.
Our varied experiences as women in a male dominated field,empower and provide girls to career opportunities they would otherwise not have.
The InspireHER STEM Career and Menstrual Health for slums pilot focus is Kibera, Kenya in collaboration with the Mirror of Hope CBO an organization that has been providing Education sponsorships to over 500 youth and empowered over 300 girls and women since 2010.
The InspireHER STEM Appnovation and Digital training pilot is with African Initiative for Human Development a refugee initiative whose missions are training children in Digital Citizenship, empowering youths in Leadership, peace and conflict resolution, give them access to online higher education opportunities.
We also partner with local area schools who unfortunately due to the COVID-19 crisis, our partnership was disrupted.
Peer to Peer Mentorship and employment opprtunity job training to students, teachers and community.
Sell Edtech Implementation and support to area schools
Facilitate trade relationships between schools and organizations.
- Organizations (B2B)
We are a grant and donor funded project including in kind volunteer hours.
In order to sustain our activities from implementing edtech applications, develop curriculum content and donate a portion of our earnings to the project.
We sell branded merchandise, with 100% of earnings going to the project.
We also partner with corporations and other community based organizations to leverage existing technology, girl programs and platforms to keep our costs minimal.
We facilitate high skills development, and maintain a talent network that could help with earnings from job placements from corporations.
We plan on paid STEM conferences and donating earnings to the project.
We applying to solve to provide our students with an opportunity to meet global professional mentors.Media Outreach to create awareness to seek funding and donations.
Get mentorship in program development and scaling.
- Business model
- Solution technology
- Talent recruitment
- Board members or advisors
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Marketing, media, and exposure
Seeking Partnerships to drive
Strategic planning
System enhancement and deployment
Professionals to develop “a day in the life of“ content
Educator training to enhance capacity.
Technology : Computers and Networking Hardware to support hands on activities.
Potential partners are IT Networking Career Pathway Credential trainers and providers, Curriculum and EdTech learning platform providers and Trainors.
Professionals of African descent and women in STEM related careers.
Education scholarship sponsors can help us reach to girls who may not have access to equal education opportunities due to lack of funding.
Business Advisors and girl serving organizations can help scale our solution with implementation expertise
We have partnered with an organization that serves refugees in Kakuma, Kenya. We provide App development training and business mentorship to refugee girls through our role models. The money will help us develop a refugee specific curriculum and mentorship content framework.
We will also supply Tablets and networking modems to reduce the barrier to connecting with our beneficiaries due to poor internet networks and high cost of technology ownership.
