STEM From Dance (SFD) is a nonprofit organization that envisions a world where underrepresented minority girls are creative, confident, and equipped to be leaders and innovators in the STEM fields. It is not a lack of talent or intelligence that prevents young women from pursuing STEM fields, but underdeveloped confidence and lack of opportunity to interact with STEM concepts in an approachable environment. To this end, SFD breaks down the intimidation barrier and empowers young women of color from low-income backgrounds to develop the confidence, skills, and awareness necessary to engage in and obtain STEM degrees.
We offer afterschool and summer programming that combine introductory coding with imaginative dance performances. We also have inspirational guest lectures from powerful women in STEM and host field trips to local STEM companies. Girls in this program activate their imagination, build confidence and connect with their communities.
STEM From Dance delivers a cohesive learning experience in which dance is used to introduce girls of color to computer science, build their confidence, and raise STEM awareness. We use dance as a springboard to increase the number of students with employable labor skills for careers in STEM. Dance offers a powerful medium for girls to enhance their digital literacy as it is deeply woven into the cultural fabric of the minority communities with whom we partner.
What This Organisation Is Looking for
We are interested in growing our network of global partners. Our organisation is growing rapidly, with the goal of expansion, both in the number of partners and students we serve.
Yamilée Toussaint is the Founder & CEO of STEM From Dance, which empowers girls with the skills, experiences, and confidence to pursue careers in STEM through the transformative power of dance. Combining her background in engineering, education, and a lifelong passion for dance, she started the program in 2012 to inspire girls of color to pursue STEM careers. Yamilée holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and a M.S. in Teaching from Pace University. She has earned her numerous accolades, including Teach For America’s Social Innovation Award and AnitaB.org’s Educational Innovation Award.
