White Bear Lake, MN, August 1, 2019 – Although women fill nearly half of all jobs in the U.S., they hold less than 25 percent of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Nonprofit organization Project Scientist is helping to close this gender gap by exposing a diverse population of young girls to STEM education. Project Scientist in partnership with Trane, a leading global provider of indoor comfort solutions and services and a brand of Ingersoll Rand, hosted a group of 40+ Twin Cities girls, ages 4-12, for an exciting, interactive “expedition” into the world of STEM.
Held at the White Bear Lake Trane Commercial HVAC office, the expedition allowed girls to experience virtual reality, learn about renewable energy while making their own windmills, and tour Trane’s state-of-the art HVAC controls plant and test lab.
“Growing up in Pittsburgh, I was fortunate to have local universities like Carnegie Mellon offer STEM summer camps through elementary and middle school,” said Sarah Wilke, marketing manager for Trane. “These experiences helped formulate my career interests today, and I’m beyond excited to give that back to other young girls. We hope more girls will pursue an education in STEM and join us at Trane or Ingersoll Rand one day!”
“If we're going to achieve gender parity and diversity in STEM careers, we have to teach girls from all backgrounds that they can grow up to be anything they want, and it's important to start young,” said Project Scientist Founder and CEO Sandy Marshall.
The hands-on activities demonstrated the transformative nature of experiential learning, and expanded the girls’ horizons regarding potential future careers, after meeting women working in STEM careers at Trane.
“Thanks to partners like Trane who support our mission, girls can see real women using STEM to solve problems and make the world a better place,” said Marshall. “They can see wonderful career opportunities that await in STEM.”
About Trane:
Trane is a brand of Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR), which advances the quality of life by creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments. Trane solutions provide comfortable indoor environments through a broad portfolio of reliable, energy efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, parts and supply. For more information, visit www.trane.com.
The Ingersoll Rand Foundation provided a grant to help fund Project Scientist’s expansion to the Twin Cities area. The grant is part of Ingersoll Rand’s 2030 Sustainability Commitment to increase economic mobility through education and other services in the communities where it operates and serves.
About Project Scientist:
Project Scientist is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to exposing a diverse population of young girls to a high-quality STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) academy. By igniting confidence that race and gender are never barriers to a STEM career, Project Scientist aims to originate a diverse STEM talent pool by serving over 20,000 girls by 2022. Learn more at projectscientist.org.