STEM-It-Yourself: Exposing rural adolescent girls to STEM through online learning

There is massive inequality in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce regarding gender and those historically marginalized: Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). STEM-It-Yourself (SIY) is an ongoing extra-curricular initiative designed to include BIPOC Scientists to serve as change agents for the rural Eastern North Carolina Delta Academy program participants of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. This initiative examines adolescent girl's perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors by imparting confidence in developing a STEM identity. This paper reports the pilot SIY extra-curricular initiative logistics and experience highlights, which commenced fall of 2020 for five girls in grades 6-8 (ages 9-13). The ongoing initiative has featured five female STEM enthusiasts and scientists from both academia and industry who virtually shared personal stories of their journey into STEM and worked through STEM activities with the young girls. Our observations indicate an increased interest in STEM fields and workforce through monthly related activities.