STEM Sparkle: GirlPowered STEM

Our tagline: Empowering girls through STEM education and entrepreneurship to break down gender stereotypes and achieve gender equity in the beauty industry.

Problem: Gender inequity in STEM education and careers is a pervasive issue that affects girls and women globally. In the beauty industry, this problem is particularly acute as women are underrepresented in STEM fields that are critical to the industry such as product formulation and development, packaging design, and supply chain management. This lack of diversity can result in products and services that do not meet the needs of diverse consumers, leading to missed business opportunities and reduced innovation.

In Atlanta, Georgia, this problem is significant as women are underrepresented in STEM careers in general and in the beauty industry specifically. According to data from the National Science Foundation, women make up only 28% of the science and engineering workforce in Georgia. In the beauty industry, women are underrepresented in technical roles such as chemists, engineers, and product developers, despite being the primary consumers of beauty products. This lack of representation can limit the industry's potential for growth and innovation, which could have a negative impact on the local economy.

Solution: The Lip Gloss Boss STEM curriculum for girls K-12 aims to solve the problem of gender inequity in STEM education and careers by providing an innovative, human-centered solution that challenges gender stereotypes and addresses gender equity in STEM education and careers. Through the Lip Gloss Boss program, girls will have access to technology, entrepreneurship, beauty, and social capital to transform their learning experiences.

How are we changing the World? By providing girls with a STEM education that is tailored to their interests, the program can help to bridge the gender gap in STEM fields. Girls will learn about STEM concepts through beauty-related projects and activities, making the subject more relatable and engaging. By connecting girls with mentors and role models in the beauty industry, the program can provide them with access to social capital, which can help them to build the skills and confidence they need to pursue STEM careers in the industry.

STEM Sparkle: Girlpowered STEM program uses a curriculum called Lip Gloss Boss 101. Our curriculum aims to empower girls through STEM education and entrepreneurship, breaking down gender stereotypes and achieving gender equity in the beauty industry. Through Lip Gloss Boss 101, girls from K-12 will have access to a tailored STEM curriculum that focuses on beauty-related projects and activities, making the subject more relatable and engaging. The program also connects girls with mentors and role models in the beauty industry, providing access to social capital to build the skills and confidence needed to pursue STEM careers in the industry.

Our program is designed to bridge the gender gap in STEM fields by providing girls with a tailored STEM education that aligns with their interests. By combining STEM concepts with beauty, we hope to challenge gender stereotypes and promote gender equity in STEM education and careers. Our solution is based on a human-centered approach, where we focus on empowering girls to pursue their passions and build a strong foundation for their future careers.

Our Lip Gloss Boss 101 curriculum uses a combination of technology, entrepreneurship, beauty, and social capital to provide girls with a well-rounded STEM education. Our curriculum also incorporates entrepreneurship, allowing girls to develop business skills that are essential for success in the beauty industry. Finally, we provide girls with access to social capital, including mentorship and networking opportunities, to help them build the skills and confidence they need to succeed in STEM career.

Our solution aims to bridge the gender gap in STEM fields by providing girls with access to a STEM education that aligns with their interests, challenges gender stereotypes, and promotes gender equity in the beauty industry. By empowering girls to pursue their passions, we hope to create a brighter future for girls and women in Atlanta, Georgia, and beyond.

1. Our solution serves underserved and underrepresented girls in K-12 in Atlanta, GA. Our tailored curriculum, Lip Gloss Boss 101, aims to provide these girls with access to STEM education and entrepreneurship, breaking down gender stereotypes and achieving gender equity in the beauty industry. By using technology and entrepreneurship, our program offers an innovative, human-centered solution to the pervasive issue of gender inequity in STEM education and careers, creating a brighter future for girls and women in Atlanta, Georgia, and beyond.

2. The target population we are working to directly and meaningfully improve are girls in K-12 who are underrepresented and underserved in STEM fields. These girls come from diverse backgrounds and communities and may not have access to the resources and opportunities needed to pursue STEM education and careers. Our solution is designed to empower these girls by providing them with a tailored STEM education that aligns with their interests and challenges gender stereotypes.

3. To understand the needs of our target population, we engage with them directly through various channels such as social media, parent groups community partners, events, community outreach, surveys, and school partnerships. We work closely with local schools, community organizations, and other stakeholders to identify the specific needs and challenges faced by underserved and underrepresented girls in STEM fields. We also engage with mentors and role models in the beauty industry to provide girls with access to social capital and networking opportunities.

4. Our solution addresses the needs of underserved and underrepresented girls in STEM fields by providing them with a tailored STEM education that aligns with their interests and challenges gender stereotypes. Our Lip Gloss Boss 101 curriculum uses a combination of technology, project based learning, entrepreneurship, beauty, and social capital to provide girls with a well-rounded STEM education. Girls also have access to entrepreneurship opportunities to develop business skills essential for success in the beauty industry. In addition, our program connects girls with mentors and role models in the industry to provide social capital, helping them to build the skills and confidence they need to pursue STEM careers.

1. My team and I are well-positioned to deliver this solution because we have a deep understanding of the communities we are serving. We have experience working with underserved and underrepresented girls, and we are committed to empowering them through STEM education.

2. My team and I are the right people to design and deliver this solution to the target population because we are members of the community ourselves. We have personal connections to the schools and neighborhoods we are working in, and we understand the unique challenges facing underserved girls in Atlanta. Our own experiences as women and as former students in Atlanta Public and Dekalb county schools inform our approach to designing this program.

3. As the Team Lead, I am a 4th generation Atlanta native who has lived and worked in the city for many years. I am also a mother of two girls, which gives me a unique perspective on the needs of young girls in our community. In addition, my background as a former cosmetologist and small business owner allows me to connect with girls who may not have considered STEM education as a career path.

4. To understand the needs of those we are serving, my team and I have been working closely with local schools, community organizations, and parents to gather feedback and insights. We have also conducted surveys and focus groups with girls in the target age range to better understand their interests and needs. We are committed to ongoing engagement and feedback to ensure that our program continues to meet the evolving needs of the community.

5. The design and implementation of our solution is meaningfully guided by the communities’ input, ideas, and agendas. We have incorporated feedback from parents, educators, and community leaders to create a program that is tailored to the unique needs of underserved girls in Atlanta. We are also committed to ongoing evaluation and refinement to ensure that our program remains responsive to the needs of the community. Ultimately, our goal is to empower girls to pursue STEM education and careers, and we believe that this can only be achieved through close collaboration with the communities we serve.

507 girls have visited our store this year and over 3000 girls have attended our community events at Greenbriar Mall

As the founder of a STEM-based learning program for African American girls in Atlanta, I face several barriers to achieving my program's goals. One of the biggest challenges I face is the cultural barrier of low participation rates in STEM education among African American girls. Many girls in this demographic do not see themselves represented in STEM fields, and there is a lack of role models or mentors to inspire and guide them. Many of the girls are interested in the beuaty industry and dont know that the beauty industry has tons of STEM based careers. Additionally, I face financial barriers to scaling my program, as I need funding to expand access to more girls, incorporate technology tools like an app, and continue the program year-round. Finally, I need help with marketing, organizing, and mobilizing to reach more girls and create a sustainable program.

I live and own a business in Atlanta GA. I teach education advocacy workshops to parent led organizations. I host free community events. I am active in the National Parent Union.

1. My solution is innovative because it uses a curriculum called Lip Gloss Boss 101, which incorporates STEM learning with cosmetic chemistry to engage young girls in a fun and exciting way. We are also using technology, to provide ongoing support and resources to our girls.

2. My solution approaches the problem of underrepresented girls in STEM in a new way by combining it with the cosmetic industry, an area that is traditionally seen as feminine and often overlooked in STEM education. By doing so, we hope to inspire young girls to pursue STEM fields in the future.

3. Our approach to STEM education could inspire others in the space to think creatively about how to engage more underrepresented communities. We believe that our Lip Gloss Boss 101 curriculum could serve as a model for other STEM programs to incorporate traditionally feminine industries or interests into their education to reach a wider audience.

4. Our solution could change the market by inspiring more young girls to pursue STEM fields, specifically in the cosmetic industry. This could lead to a more diverse and inclusive workforce in the future. 

My impact goal for the next year is to increase the number of girls who participate in my STEM Sparkle program by 50% and to expand the program to at least one additional school in the Atlanta area. My impact goal for the next five years is to have the STEM Sparkle program established in at least 10 schools in the Atlanta area, with a total participation of 500 girls annually.

I believe that my goals are achievable based on my previous success with the STEM Sparkle program and my understanding of the community's needs. I will need to dedicate time and resources to marketing and outreach to reach more girls and expand to additional schools.

I plan to achieve my one-year goal within the next 12 months, and my five-year goal within the next five years. To achieve these goals, I have developed a timeline and action plan that includes marketing, outreach, and program expansion strategies, and I will regularly evaluate and adjust my approach based on progress and feedback from participants and stakeholders.

To track progress towards my one-year goal, I will monitor the number of girls who enroll in the STEM Sparkle program and compare it to the previous year's enrollment numbers. I will also track the number of schools where the program is offered to ensure that I have expanded to at least one additional school. To track progress towards my five-year goal, I will use the same metrics and track the growth of the program over time.

As the team lead for STEM Sparkle: Girlpowered Stem program, our Lip Gloss Boss 101 curriculum is designed to empower and engage underserved and underrepresented girls in STEM education. Our program is innovative in that it uses a non-traditional approach to teach STEM concepts by incorporating beauty and project based learning. By using a curriculum that speaks to the interests of our target population, we aim to increase their interest and engagement in STEM fields, ultimately leading to increased representation in the industry.

Our program's theory of change is based on the following logical framework:

Activities:

• Implementing Lip Gloss Boss 101 curriculum in K-12 afterschool programs
• Providing STEM-related workshops, seminars, and events
• Partnering with local organizations and businesses to provide mentorship and networking opportunities

Outputs:

• Increased participation and engagement of underserved and underrepresented girls in STEM education
• Acquisition of STEM skills and knowledge
• Increased interest in pursuing STEM careers
• Development of mentorship and networking relationships

Outcomes:

• Increased representation of underserved and underrepresented girls in STEM careers
• Closing the gender and racial gaps in STEM fields
• Greater economic and social mobility for program participants and their families
• Increased innovation and progress in the STEM industry as a result of diverse perspectives and experiences

We believe that our program's unique approach, combined with our outreach efforts and partnerships, will lead to a measurable impact on the representation of girls in STEM fields in Atlanta and beyond. We will track our progress through data collection and analysis, program evaluations, and ongoing engagement with our target population to ensure that our activities and outputs are aligned with our desired outcomes.

In the future I would like to incorporate more technology like an app and tools to support your program's growth and sustainability.

DeAndrea Byrd (CEO) Full-time

Zaria Byrd (Director) Part-time

Monique Willimas (Program manager) Full-time

3 Part-time STEM Camp Instructors

Total: Team of 5

1

Incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusivity into my work is a top priority. To achieve this, I am committed to building a team that is diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and other important factors. I recognize the value of having a team with different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds, and I am actively working to recruit and retain talented individuals from a variety of backgrounds.

In addition to having a diverse team, I am committed to creating an inclusive work environment where everyone feels valued and respected. This includes providing opportunities for professional development and advancement, as well as fostering a culture of open communication and collaboration.

To ensure that my work is equitable and inclusive, I am constantly examining my own biases and seeking out feedback from others. I am committed to creating programs and resources that are accessible to all and that meet the needs of diverse communities. By taking these steps, I am working to ensure that my work is both effective and equitable.

As a socail enterprise, my current business model is a for-profit business that does social good through our STEM Sparkle: Girlpowered STEM program.

The STEM Sparkle: Girlpowered STEM program business model focuses on providing STEM-based learning programs and resources to underserved youth populations in the Metro Atlanta area. Our key customers are the youth participants who directly benefit from our programs, while our beneficiaries include their families, schools, and communities. We partner with school and afterschool programs to expose girls to STEM in a fun and innovative way.

We provide value by offering project-based learning experiences that help our participants develop critical thinking skills, build confidence, and prepare them for success in STEM fields. Our programs include curriculum development, teacher training, mentorship, and access to technology resources.

We fund our programs through a combination of our sales percentage donations, grants, donations, and sponsorships from corporate partners and individuals who share our mission of advancing equity and opportunity in STEM education. Our revenue model is centered on these sources of funding, and we aim to maintain a sustainable financial structure to ensure the longevity of our programs and continued impact on the communities we serve

We fund our programs through a combination of our sales profits, grants, donations, and sponsorships from corporate partners and individuals who share our mission of advancing equity and opportunity in STEM education. Our revenue model is centered on these sources of funding, and we aim to maintain a sustainable financial structure to ensure the longevity of our programs and continued impact on the communities we serve

We have found that donating a percentage of our sales per transaction and seeking donations have been successful strategies to achieve financial sustainability. These approaches not only provide a stable source of revenue but also build community support and engagement with our mission. We regularly track and analyze the success of these strategies to ensure their effectiveness and long-term sustainability. We are still looking for ways to grow.