Pioneering Black Female Engineer Leading the Charge for Black Girls in S.T.E.M.
Ara Branch, an accomplished Chemical Engineer with multiple awards to her name, has led initiatives for NASA and Intel. She is also the creator of Black Girls Do Engineer, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that aims to offer opportunities, education, visibility, and guidance to exceptionally talented young Black girls interested in STEM fields, spanning from early education through college.
Branch, aged 34, encountered a persistent systemic problem within the realm of STEM. While pursuing her engineering degree at HBCU Prairie View A&M University, she found herself among only a few women in her program. Throughout her subsequent career in chemical engineering, she often found herself as the sole Black woman in various professional settings. Apart from the disheartening personal experiences, a stark statistic from the National Science Foundation further underscores the issue: “As of 2023, the STEM workforce comprises only 35% women, with a mere 5% being women of color, and a minuscule 2.9% representing Black women” (source: new.nsf.gov).
The issue became profoundly personal for Branch when her oldest daughter, then 9 years old, expressed her aspiration to become an engineer. Branch reflects, “I was determined to spare her from the challenges I faced—being the solitary Black woman in male-dominated environments. My goal was to offer my daughter and countless other gifted Black girls and young women the opportunity for role models and a well-defined path to excel in STEM.
In 2019, Kara Branch inaugurated her non-profit initiative, Black Girls Do Engineer.
Student participants from Black Girls Do Engineer at Greentown Labs Tech Accelerator in Houston, TX
“Our organization was established due to the concern that Black American girls and young women are underrepresented in STEM-related professions, and our dedication is to transform this narrative and address this problem.” – Kara Branch
Shortly after its inception, Black Girls Do Engineer achieved the distinction of being the sole non-profit organization admitted to Houston’s Greentown Labs accelerator, which currently accommodates over 80 clean energy technology startups.
Black Girls Do Engineer in Figures:
To date, Kara’s Black Girls Do Engineer program has provided assistance to 2,200 girls, spanning from kindergarten through college.
BGDE has successfully established three chapters in their flagship location in Houston, as well as in Los Angeles and New Orleans, with plans for additional chapters in the future.
Since 2019, BGDE has awarded a total of $44,000 in STEM-related college scholarships to its members.
Black Girls Do Engineer student participants at the S.T.E.M. Day Houston Event
Kara’s objective with Black Girls Do Engineer is to establish a future generation of Black girls and young women who are not only knowledgeable about STEM careers but also witness the representation of Black women in these fields. She aims to ensure that members have access to resources, skills, mentorship, and opportunities. Kara states, “We are paving a viable path for these girls to excel in STEM disciplines.”
Recognized as the swiftest growing program for Black girls in STEM, BGDE has earned the moniker of “The Ivy League of Nonprofits.” This program follows an application-based approach and provides full-time membership to STEM camps and workshops for Black girls in grades K through 12, while also offering mentorship and individual workshops for college students up to age 21.
Black Girls Do Engineer student members engaged in soldering during BGDE’s S.T.E.M. Day Houston event
BGDE’s forward-looking curriculum encompasses diverse areas of study, including Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Energy, Audio/Visual, Aerospace, Engineering, Medical, Robotics, and Coding.
The mentoring aspect encompasses College Preparation, Financial Literacy, Skills Enhancement, and guidance from professionals actively engaged in these fields, offering invaluable real-world experiences.
Kara Branch harbors an ambitious vision for Black Girls Do Engineer. She states, “Our organization aspires to facilitate access, awareness, and advocacy for two million Black American girls to pursue STEM careers by the year 2025.”
Presently, the program boasts a remarkable 100% college acceptance rate and a 100% job placement rate among its members.
