Empowering Young Women Who Are Making the World a Better Place #DayOfTheGirl

Today is the International Day of the Girl and the Infosys Foundation USA is joining the United Nations in celebrating girls everywhere as they inspire, break boundaries and take charge of their own futures. This year’s theme is “My Voice, Our Equal Future,” which is focused on supporting girls to be changemakers in their communities by learning new skills towards the futures they choose and leading as a generation of activists accelerating social change.

Through its efforts to expand access to computer science and maker education in K-12 public schools across the U.S., the Infosys Foundation USA is enabling young women and girls to develop their interests in STEM, invent solutions to problems that they care about and become the next leaders in science, technology, public health, education and business.

We’re proud to highlight several amazing young women who have participated in programs from three Infy Maker Awards Winners. Organizations receiving an Infy Maker Award each receive $10,000 and professional development support to grow the work that they are doing in maker education.

Girls Write Now
Girls Write Now is New York’s first and only writing and mentoring organization for girls and gender non-conforming youth. The organization mentors underserved young women to find their voices through the power of writing and community, Serving a culturally and educationally diverse community of mentees- 90% of color, 90% high need, 75% immigrant or first generation, and 25% LGBTQ+/gender non-conforming. Mentees are published in outlets including The New York Times, Newsweek, BuzzFeed, and have performed at Lincoln Center and the United Nations.

Girls on the Mic at Women’s Audio Mission
Women’s Audio Mission (WAM), is a San Francisco Bay Area-based nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of women and girls in STEM and creative technology. WAM’s award-winning Girls on the Mic program is a groundbreaking STEM training and mentoring after-school program that serves more than 2,500 at-risk Bay Area girls per year by using music and media to attract them to STEM and technology careers. Girls learn about the electronics behind the music and the media they consume every day. They learn critical problem-solving and STEM skills, and experiment with DIY activities to encourage innovation, creativity, and a culture of invention. Hands-on projects include using code to make drum machines and synthesizers, building DIY speakers from cups, wire, and batteries, and creative coding to create animations, games, and sounds.

Girls Take Flight at The Elementary Institute of Science
The Elementary Institute of Science (EIS) nurtures the intellectual curiosity of young people by providing hands-on learning experiences to further their understanding of STEM. EIS’ Girls Take Flight program is the first drone pilot certification program for female high school students in the San Diego region. The program provides 180 hours of training for students to become certified drone pilots in the high-growth sector of Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Girls are able to pursue their natural interests in STEM and acquire skills for in-demand occupations. Many move on to become first-generation college graduates.