American Heart Association’s Rochester STEM Goes Red™, part of its Go Red for Women® movement, introduces students to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and connects students with female industry leaders
Today’s economy and tomorrow’s well-being depend on innovations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), but a troubling gap exists when it comes to women in STEM occupations. Women make up almost half of employment across non-STEM occupations but just over 29% of the STEM workforce.[1] That’s why the American Heart Association, devoted to a world of healthier lives for all, is bringing Go Red for Women®’s STEM Goes Red to Rochester. STEM Goes Red addresses the underrepresentation of women in STEM and inspires young women to pursue rewarding careers in STEM fields.
Rochester STEM Goes Red, hosted by University of Rochester Medical Center’s Office of University Engagement and Enrichment, brings to life stimulating and impactful careers in STEM and gives participating schools access to leading employers, local experts and an insider look at what a career in STEM could entail.
“STEM Goes Red draws on the American Heart Association’s strong legacy of science, education and discovery, offering an immersive experience that propels young women into this exciting world,” said Megan Vargulick, executive director for the Rochester and Buffalo American Heart Association. “By ensuring a new generation of female scientists, doctors, inventors and changemakers, we’re taking critical steps to secure their future as well as our own.”
Of 100 female students working toward a bachelor’s degree, only three will work in a STEM job 10 years after graduation[2], leading to persistent disparities in women’s health. By equipping and inspiring young women to pursue STEM careers, we can ensure women are represented in critical sectors that impact health and well-being such as healthcare, research and technology.
The American Heart Association’s STEM Goes Red launched in 2017 as part of the Go Red for Women® movement. For more than 20 years, Go Red for Women has served as a catalyst for change, improving women’s lives by advancing equitable research and care, advocating for inclusive health policies and raising awareness of women’s No. 1 health threat—cardiovascular disease.
Rochester STEM Goes Red hosted 67 students from the following schools:
- Rochester Prep High School
- School Without Walls
- Fairport High School
- East Rochester Junior-Senior High School
- Rush-Henrietta Senior High School
- Hilton High School
- East High School
- Spry Middle School
- Webster Schroeder High School
- Greece Arcadia High School
- Greece Odyssey Academy
- Rochester Early College International High
- Vertus High School
- Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School
- James Monroe High School
- Greece Olympia School
- Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES
During the four-hour interactive program, students explored STEM career paths—such as medical research, health care and engineering—through hands-on breakout sessions, a panel of female experts and meaningful connections with top employers.
Breakout Sessions included:
- Hands-Only CPR Experience – Students will learn the lifesaving skills of Hands-Only CPR in a quick and empowering interactive experience.
- Heart Health Race – Students will explore how access to health care impacts heart health through a relay race challenge.
- Building a Heart – Students will construct a model of the human heart and learn how it works.
- Blood Typing Lab – Students will discover the science behind blood types with a safe and engaging simulation.
Breakout sessions were designed, organized and led by student leaders from Wayne Finger-Lakes Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH).
“STEM Goes Red is a vital initiative because it opens doors for young women to explore careers in science and technology and other areas where the gender gap is still far too wide,” said Ana Gómez Parga, Ph.D., director of TIDES at the University of Rochester Medical Center Department of Surgery. “By inspiring the next generation of female leaders in STEM, we’re helping to build a more equitable future, where everyone has the opportunity to innovate and create solutions that can change the world.”
STEM Goes Go Red is locally sponsored by Withum and M&T Bank. Go Red for Women is nationally sponsored by CVS Health and locally sponsored by University of Rochester Medical Center and Reliant Credit Union. For more information about the Rochester Go Red for Women movement, contact Michelle Marks-Hook or visit Heart.org/GoRedROC.
[1] https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2023.pdf
[2] Anthony Carnevale, Nicole Smith, and Michelle Melton. STEM. Georgetown University: Center on Education and the Workforce, as retrieved from http://cew.georgetown.edu/stem/ as of 11/18/22