The AAUW Corpus Christi Branch held its second STEM Program activity with West Oso Independent School District girls at the YWCA on June 11, 2019.   Janet Blanke, STEM Committee Chair, gave an introduction to the movie, “HIdden Figures,”  a 2016 American biographical drama film.   The movie is about black female mathematicians who worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during the Space Race.  Organizations and independent businesses regard the film as relevant to the cause of improving youth awareness in education and careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.  Viewings of the film are designed to help encourage a new generation of women to consider STEM careers.  Research from Georgetown University showed 2.4 million job vacancies for STEM occupations between 2008 and 2018.

After the movie, girls wrote their answers to the prompt, “What motivated the women to show courage and withstand prejudice?”  One girl wrote, “The thought of becoming successful in the end.  The thought of being your own boss and teaching others the same love for NASA and space.  The thought of working 10 times harder than the men to prove them wrong in the end.  To show us as African American women who can do everything a man can do, and maybe even more.”

After the writing assignment, the girls and AAUW members sat in a circle to discuss the movie and the emotions they felt as they watched the actions of people in the movie.  The discussion ended on a note about computer science classes available at West Oso.

After the movie, discussion, and lunch, the girls enjoyed time at the YWCA pool.  We thank our AAUW member Nancy Wesson-Dodd and the YWCA for providing the location for this event and inviting the girls to utilize the pool facilities.