Geaux Girls STEM
NAME | Himangini Chauhan
GRADE | 12
LOCATION | Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Himangini Chauhan, a 12th grader from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, founded Geaux Girls STEM, an initiative centered on a STEM workshop series that leverages the power of older students to mentor younger peers, fostering a supportive community of changemakers and imparting not just knowledge but also leadership skills and confidence. Through this mentorship, Geaux Girls hopes to work with Louisiana’s Title I schools to ultimately address the underrepresentation of women and minorities matriculating to college for degrees in STEM fields.
Driven by her firsthand understanding of the potential within low-income students and the importance of equitable access to STEM education, Himangini is looking forward to new opportunities for Geaux girls including giving another live TV interview, recruiting and training additional tutors, and sourcing additional opportunities for visibility and funding.
Geaux Girls STEM
NAME | Himangini Chauhan
GRADE | 12
LOCATION | Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Himangini Chauhan, a 12th grader from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, founded Geaux Girls STEM, an initiative centered on a STEM workshop series that leverages the power of older students to mentor younger peers, fostering a supportive community of changemakers and imparting not just knowledge but also leadership skills and confidence. Through this mentorship, Geaux Girls hopes to work with Louisiana’s Title I schools to ultimately address the underrepresentation of women and minorities matriculating to college for degrees in STEM fields.
Driven by her firsthand understanding of the potential within low-income students and the importance of equitable access to STEM education, Himangini is looking forward to new opportunities for Geaux girls including giving another live TV interview, recruiting and training additional tutors, and sourcing additional opportunities for visibility and funding.
In 2023, women made up about 26% of the STEM workforce. That number lowered to 14% for women of color. The State of Louisiana ranks 48th out of 50 in education. Engineering degrees have the highest average salary for all Louisiana bachelor degree programs 18 months after graduation. Louisiana public colleges graduated six times as many men than women. These statistics raise a blaring alarm about the disproportionate representation in education.
Further, the pandemic brought a concerning decline in education, especially in Louisiana Title I schools, underscoring the urgency for effective solutions. Quality education is the key to breaking the cycle of generational poverty. STEM, in particular, has the potential to be a transformative force. My family found their escape from poverty through STEM opportunities. They proved that with determination, anyone can succeed.
As a fellow, low-income student, I recognize the immense potential within low-income kids.
Our self-sustaining model: older students from Title I schools empower younger peers from Title I schools. This peer-led approach enhances learning and fosters a supportive community of changemakers. We believe that merely providing educational opportunities is not enough; sustainability and empowerment are key.
This approach goes beyond traditional educational models, as it not only imparts knowledge but also instills leadership skills, self-confidence, and a sense of responsibility among our students, empowering them to also be changemakers. We actively recruit tutors who embody the characteristics of a proactive leader. It's a holistic approach that equips them to overcome challenges and contribute meaningfully to their own communities.
Geaux Girls workshops are designed as a series of more than 8 engaging STEM experiments, each thoughtfully crafted and conceptualized by our team. Additionally, participants are provided with more help for school homework to support their academic growth.
Our immediate next steps include:
- Hosting our February and March workshops. Give another live TV interview about our organization, and recruit 3 more tutors and train them.
- Promote our efforts and increase visibility.
- Receive more funding for tutor training and student engagement.
Our long term goals include: to establish ourselves as the premier non-profit STEM equity organization in Baton Rouge, and collaborate with like-minded local organizations like Capital Area STEM Network, LaSTEM, and BRSTEM to make our impact more collective and profound. Gain recognition from State Representatives and local government, and other organizations like Ashoka Changemakers.
Our team has grown from me managing everything to having dedicated tutors. We have 9 now! The tutors aid in designing and teaching the curriculum, hosting the workshops, and measuring the impact on students through surveys. Our team is entirely student run.