In a STEM focused school that is often male dominated, the Girls’ STEM Cohort allows both innovation and creativity for girls pursuing a career in the STEM field. But this space was not always around, where across all STEM careers, there’s only a 34% representation of women in the workforce, where men outcompete many of their female counterparts in both school and through employment.

Notably beginning through the 1970s, the rate of female participation rose dramatically in careers such as biotechnology, health engineering, and mechanical engineering. Organizations such as Girls in STEM have been able to foster a community for young girls to explore their interests and develop their skills in the field. Now, that same change is being seen here in ACC.

Ananya Sinha, a senior at ACC hoping to major in environmental science, was stuck in a space with a lack of female representation, and often dismissed by her male peers in her skills. Instead of giving up, she collaborated with Ms. Monica to create the Girls’ Cohort, allowing opportunities of networking, tutoring, and creating a welcoming environment for future women in STEM. Her mission was to allow all girls to feel comfortable and supported in their endeavors.

“The only way we can encourage girls to have futures in STEM is to give them peers and people who understand what they’re going through,” answered Ananya when asked how she engages with female underclassmen to connect them to support.

The Girls’ Cohort is open to every grade level and program in ACC, and meets during Archer’s period supervised by Ms. Brody and Ms. Monica. Girls are able to join if taking a STEM focused CTE class of their choice.