By John Breech

April 11, 2017

It has been roughly one month since NFL free agency began on March 9, and in that time, it has become pretty clear that none of the NFL's 32 teams has any interest in signing Colin Kaepernick -- at least, not right now. 

During the past five weeks, Kaepernick hasn't even visited a team, and that's mainly because no one has invited him in for a workout. The fact that Kaepernick hasn't been able to find a job in the  NFL has left some of his former teammates baffled.

Niners running back Carlos Hyde has watched over a dozen free-agent quarterbacks sign a new deal this offseason, and by his estimation, at least one of those spots should've gone to Kaepernick.

"I've seen some quarterbacks who got signed that, in my opinion, Kap is way better than," Hyde  told CSN Bay Area on Monday.   Although Hyde didn't mention any of those quarterbacks by name, it's possible he's talking about Josh Johnson, Chase Daniel, Kellen Moore, EJ Manuel, Case Keenum, Matt Barkley, Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez, T.J. Yates or Matt McGloin. Each one of those quarterbacks has signed a new deal this offseason.

One person who seems to feel the same way as Hyde is Navorro Bowman. That 49ers linebacker said that Kaepernick should absolutely have a job at this point.   "I think he's proven that he can play at this level," Bowman  told CSN Bay Area . "He's made a choice that's kind of had a little backlash from it. But I think he'll be fine."

Bowman's referring to Kaepernick's decision to kneel for The Star-Spangled Banner, something he reportedly won't be doing in 2017.

"Someone will give him a job," Bowman said. "He's not like a bad guy or anything. So I think that's what matters in the NFL, if you can play level and your character is great. So I wish him the best."

On the other hand, if Kaepernick's still a free agent when training camp rolls around, he could end up making some serious money if any team ends up losing its starting quarterback during the preseason.

Kaepernick went 1-10 as a starter for the 49ers in 2016. Despite the ugly record, the 49ers quarterback did throw 16 touchdowns against only four interceptions.

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In 2008, Jackie Lomax found herself at an impasse. Her daughter had expressed an interest in science and mathematics, but Lomax was unable to find opportunities for her daughter to explore these topics outside of the classroom.

"I was just a mother trying to make my daughter's dream come true," Lomax said. "I wanted to take the cost of having a dream of a career in science and make it free to every girl."

Lomax set out to create her own program for minority girls around Chicago to encourage exploration of these topics. The following year, Lomax founded  Girls 4 Science. Since its inception, more than 500 young women have taken part in free programming that operates out of two locations within Chicago, Malcolm X College (1900 W. Jackson Blvd.) and Olive-Harvey College (10001 S. Woodlawn Ave.), as well as an additional location in Joliet.

Girls 4 Science hosts quarterly programs surrounding different topics over the course of six weeks. Any young woman aged 10 to 18 years old can register for the Saturday morning programming. The meetings revolve around lectures from STEM (science, tech, engineering and math) professionals and labs that give the girls hands-on experience with the topics they're covering. Subjects covered in the past have included zoology, personal health and biology, mathematics and, this summer, medical science.

"Even if you're not a STEM professional, volunteers are always needed for field trips or to support their learning and help them with labs," Girls 4 Science's Carleigh Rinefierd said.

Since its creation, Girls 4 Science has seen a 100 percent college placement rate amongst its participants, with 90 percent of those young women entering STEM fields of study. Through its teaching programs and mentorship by volunteers and STEM professionals, Girls 4 Science allows young women in underserved communities the chance to feel more confident in their skills in scientific fields.

"My daughter (now a sophomore in college) knew exactly the path she needed to take once she graduated high school," Lomax said. "I never knew a dinner table conversation would turn into something so important and meaningful."