September 26th 2017 



Spotlight Speakers!
Governor Kim Reynolds
Iowa
Dr. Maria Velissariou
Vice President, Nutrition R&D
PepsiCo
Register for the Million Women Mentors Summit and Awards HERE


Please make hotel reservations at one of the following hotels:
Mentors Needed!
Our valued MWM parter, Mentored Pathways, is looking for additional mentors to help serve a number of students across the United States. Utilizing a vast network of middle and high school educators, Mentored Pathways provides the opportunity for mentors to match with students focused on specific projects to help boost their understanding and desire for the STEM path. You may find more information by going to their website - MentoredPathways.org
MWM Summit & Awards: Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds Giving Keynote Speech 
Million Women Mentors is pleased to announce that Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds will be speaking at the upcoming MWM Summit & Awards. As the MWM National Honorary Chair, Governor Reynolds is a huge supporter of women and girls in STEM both in Iowa and nationwide.

Kim Reynolds became Iowa’s first female governor on May 24, 2017 and has a long history of encouraging women to lead. She proudly serves as the national Honorary National Chair of Million Women Mentors. Additionally, the Governor launched Million Women Mentors-Iowa in 2014. Two years earlier, Governor Reynolds was named one of the 100 Women Leaders in STEM by STEMconnector.

Governor Reynolds will be speaking on the panel Impacting States’ Economies through Women in STEM , and presenting the Keynote Speech on Tuesday, October 24. Million Women Mentors is honored to be working with Governor Reynolds, and excited to have her speak at the Summit & Awards.
Lt. Governor Tim Griffin participating in the MWM Summit & Awards

MWM-Arkansas is pleased to announce Lt. Governor Tim Griffin will be attending the MWM Summit & Awards in October. Lt. Governor Griffin will be a panelist on Tuesday’s panel Impacting States’ Economies through Women in STEM.
Click here to register for the Summit and see the full agenda. 
Bradley Jackson participating in the MWM Summit & Awards

MWM-Tennessee is pleased to announce that Bradley Jackson, the President and CEO of the Tennessee Manufacturing Association, will be attending the MWM Summit & Awards in October. Mr. Jackson will be a panelist on Tuesday’s panel Impacting States’ Economies through Women in STEM.
Click here to register for the Summit and see the full agenda. 
MWM-IA Stand Up for STEM Award

MWM-Iowa awarded a Stand Up for STEM award to John Deere for their dedication to STEM literacy for young people in Iowa. Governor Kim Reynolds presented the award to John Deere at the 2017 STEM Day at the Iowa State Fair in August.  

MWM-KY Newsletter Launch
MWM-Kentucky recently started a state-wide newsletter, a regular publication used to keep the MWM-KY audience in touch with news and developments related to STEM mentorship in the Commonwealth.
In every issue there is a "Spotlight" article of a mentor or mentor providing organization, national and local "Resources & Mentoring Opportunities” as well as MWM-KY "News & Events" announcements. Here are links to their June , July , and August issues, and a link to subscribe . 
MWM-DE New Honorary Chair
MWM-DE is pleased to announce that Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long has recently accepted the position of MWM-DE Honorary Chair.
Bethany completed her PhD in health policy and nursing administration from George Mason University, and served as a fellow for the U.S. Senate as well as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bethany has been a member of the UD Nursing Faculty now for nearly twenty years. Her research and community service record with at-risk groups such as pregnant teens, diabetics, homeless and the mentally ill, makes her a nationally recognized health scientist. 
MWM and IREX
IREX , a global development and education nonprofit, has committed to  mentoring 60,000 women and girls  in STEM-related careers as part of the Million Women Mentors BeCounted! campaign. IREX has integrated these mentorships into 14 of its programs in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas.
“Around the world, there’s a shortage of people with the STEM skills necessary to tackle some of the biggest challenges we face today,” said Kathy Evans, Acting Vice President of Global Programs at IREX. “Women and girls are especially underrepresented in STEM fields. Inline with our mission to promote just, prosperous, and inclusive societies, we’re committed to boosting their numbers.”
The IREX initiatives that feature these mentorships are wide ranging.  The  Novateca  program in Moldova is successfully mentoring public librarians - 99% of whom are women - to become tech-savvy "infomediaries" at over 1,000 modernized libraries. In turn, the librarians now offer young men and women across the country the possibility to use technology to improve their STEM skills.  The  Takamol  program in Jordan features a Gender Fellows Program to mentor university women, including those in STEM fields, in promoting gender sensitive messaging in research and career settings. The  WorldSmarts STEM Challenge  is a virtual exchange between gender-balanced student teams to develop prototypes of STEM innovations to problems in international development. The most recent winner, a generator that runs on soil developed by a joint US-Ghanaian team, has the potential to bring power to conflict zones – allowing children to read at night and to power startup businesses.
100 International Women Leaders in STEM Connect in Silicon Valley for TechWomen 2017
The US Department of State issued a Press Release highlighting their TechWomen 2017 Exchange Program . Through mentorships with U.S. women leaders in STEM fields, the TechWomen participants will gain access and opportunities needed to strengthen business ties and build stronger professional networks around the world. Upon their return home, participants will encourage more women and girls to pursue careers in science and technology.
The TechWomen participants will spend five weeks collaborating with over 30 U.S. private sector companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley before their program closes in Washington, D.C. Each mentorship group will create a mutually beneficial project related to their expertise, interests and the needs of the host company. Participants will return home to join other program alumnae and select visiting American mentors to implement their action plans and conduct workshops to share their insights with more women and girls.
Read the full press release here . 
EAST AFRICA: My Passion is to Mentor Leaders for the Future
Caren Wakoli is the founder and executive director of Emerging Leaders Foundation. Caren Wakoli is a leadership and governance expert with more than 11 years’ experience in civil society, media and government. I am She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders who are value-driven and service-oriented. The award recognizes women who are influencing different sectors of society like arts and culture, agriculture, business and professional services among others. She is a finalist for the 2017 Awards of CEO Global's most influential African Women in business and government in welfare and civil society organizations. It is aimed at encouraging women to rise up to make a change in various sectors.

TAMBISA: Skills that Set Women Apart - Women's Skills Praised in Advancing Big Business.
Pastor Welcome Thamsanqa Mlungisi Dlalisa talks about how women are important in the buisiness field. "Women possess rare skills in running a business including big business. You may ask yourself: Why is this the case? Why are women doing so well in running big business? Well, women are very instrumental in organising and leading in a family, community, country and even in churches. These attributes and skills which they use across these different levels, are the same skills which make them succeed in the corporate environment. This article will highlight those skills and hopefully encourage many women across Tembisa to start and run businesses."

CANADA: Trailblazing Exhibit at WR Museum Takes a Look Back at Influential Women
The ‘Trailblazing – Women in Canada’ exhibit opens at the Waterloo Region Museum starting this Friday.
Collections curator and registrar Stacy McLennan says it’s really the chance to highlight many Canadian women who may be unknown to Canadian society today.
“We cover 150 years of history, so we’re looking from the Confederation in 1867 up to the women’s marches that happened in 2017. We were lucky enough to have an advisory committee to help us refine our content, and we look at women with local ties, those who trained here during the Second World War, women in STEM, and even women in sports.”

New Girl Scouts STEM headquarters in Newport Beach: A lot more than S’mores
Sure, there’s a kitchen, and a 2,000-square-foot patio for crafting S’mores.
But the new Argyros Girl Scout Leadership Center in Newport Beach, unveiled Saturday Sept. 23, is headquarters for the organization’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics program, or STEM, for 21,000 Orange County Girl Scouts.
“This is so much more (than a scout house),” said Girl Scouts of Orange County CEO Nancy Nygren.

NDSU Mathematics Department encourages young ladies to consider careers in STEM
Getting girls interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) has been an on going trend for years. However, they're still underrepresented in STEM related jobs. Hoping to change that, the NDSU Mathematics Department hosted the Sonia Kovalevsky Mathematics High School Day. In its 21st year, the day is full of activities, games, and career information for young ladies. It's done with the hope of showing them that STEM isn't just for boys.

Western Michigan Gets $2 Million to Support Migrant Students
Western Michigan University has been given a grant of more than $2 million over the next five years to help support first-year, first-generation undergraduate students who are migrant or seasonal farmworkers, or the children of such workers.
The WMU branch of the College Assistance Migrant Program, which is part of the Division of Multicultural Affairs, will receive $416,293 for the 2017-18 year and $2,107,988 overall, according to a WMU news release.

Meadowbrook Students Explore Science Through Tech Trek
Three Meadowbrook Middle School students recently explored science and technology at the annual Tech Trek camp.
Yesenia Cruz, Kailee Johnstone and Ashley Perez, all 13-year-old eighth-graders, were sent to the camp on the campus of UCSD by the Poway-Peñasquitos Branch of the American Association of University Women.
Tech Trek is a one-week, academic residential science and math camp designed to develop interest, excitement and self-confidence in middle school girls, according to a press release. The girls spend a week living on a college campus and participating in hands-on activities in math, science and related fields. Instructors include credentialed middle school teachers and women who are currently engaged in STEM fields.

Honorable mention: Valerie Mann, Samantha Kirk - Promoting Girls in STEM
As the one and only employee of the Pringle Nature Center in Bristol,  Valerie Mann  has developed, led and publicized dozens of programs while juggling the writing of grants and managing volunteers and interns.
Employed since 2009 at the nature center, she has initiated programs in conjunction with the Chicago Wilderness Society for public and private schools and home-schooled students, among others. In addition, she has established the SPARK program for memory impaired individuals and their caregivers, special nature experiences for the visually and hearing impaired, the Girls in STEM program, and No Child Left Inside activities.

These Female Marine Scientists have a Message for Girls: Sharks Aren't Just for Boys
In an effort to engage young girls in the fascinating world of sharks, Cynthia Wigren is now the director of the Gills Club Symposium, which promotes girls' education in science, technology, engineering and math — known as STEM. The club held an event this Tuesday and Wednesday where girls met and learned from 10 top female shark researchers at the New England Aquarium in Boston.

Women & Gender Collaborative Awards Grant to High-Impact STEM Project
The Women and Gender Collaborative is providing a two-year grant for a faculty-student mentoring program designed to encourage women to pursue advanced STEM careers and follow a path to become future leaders in their disciplines. The project, “Research Mentoring to Advance Inclusivity in STEM” (RMAIS), will span 23 departments within CSU’s eight colleges and is being administered through the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology (GDPE). RMAIS was the sole recipient in the Collaborative’s 2017 competitive grant round.

De Beers Pledges to Empower Women
De Beers has partnered with the United Nations to support the advancement of women in the company and across areas of life its operations affect. 

As a UN Women partner, De Beers has pledged to invest $3 million in empowering women in diamond-producing countries, the miner said last week. This will include accelerating the growth of female-owned micro-enterprises in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. In Canada, De Beers and UN Women will fund studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics for young women and girls from underprivileged communities. 

Women General Counsel Honored for their Leadership
In the shadow of the first woman attorney to become a partner at a large Indiana law firm, five female general counsel of publicly traded companies were honored Thursday for their achievements not only in the legal field but also for developing other women and minorities into leaders.
The women were recognized by Barnes & Thornburg LLP at its 3rd Annual Shirley’s Legacy ceremony. Started in 2015, the law firm has annually remembered its late colleague, Shirley Shideler, by honoring female attorneys who reflect her trailblazing spirit.

VEDC Awarded $150,000 Grant from Bank of America to Support Women Entrepreneurs in Los Angeles
Three community-minded organizations have joined forces to offer a financial and mentoring boost to women entrepreneurs in Los Angeles County. According to VEDC a leading non-profit small business lender up to 30 woman VEDC borrowers will receive two percent interest rate discounts thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Tory Burch Foundation Capital Program, powered by Bank of America.

GE's Stunning 'Unseen Stars' Takes Over Grand Central
GE celebrates women in STEM with a dazzling light show, and PCMag stopped by for a peek.
New York is filled with bright lights and stars, but not like this. GE this week projected its  Unseen Stars  installation on the ceiling of the city's most beautiful transportation hub, Grand Central Station.
The ceiling of the station's main concourse is already awash in constellations, painted by Paul César Helleu. After a fiber-optic system dimmed, the constellations' lights were  replaced in 2010  by LEDs. This week, commuters who looked up saw some of the oft-forgotten women of science and engineering projected over the familiar mural, each depicted as a constellation.

Business Group Mentors Women in the Corporate World
Conscious Connections, a business-women's organization founded in May 2014, is hosting a panel discussion for women in the corporate world on Sept. 27 in Scottsdale.
Kristi Hall is the creator of Conscious Connections, which is dedicated to empowering, supporting and mentoring business women.
Conscious Connections has a following of 6,000 local business-women and helps female business owners and professionals leverage their skills, talents and passions to make a positive impact and build profitable businesses and careers.

Want to Be Paid Fairly? Join a Tech Company with More Women Leaders
For this study, Redfin examined the gender makeup of executive teams at 31 of the largest U.S. tech companies. Companies where women made up more than 25 percent of the executive team were considered to have a high rate of female executives, while companies with fewer than 20 percent were considered to have a low rate. Companies where women made up 21 to 24 percent of the executive team were not included. PayScale then analyzed 6,562 salary profiles of people who reported working for these companies between June 2015 and 2017.

Tech Tours!

For the last 4 months they've been on the road talking to locals and influencers about the future of work in their cities. They're getting ready for their San Francisco tour and would love to see you there!

Top 3 Reasons YOU should come to our tour stop!
 
  1. FIND A JOB. 20+ growing startups are recruiting and are looking for great talent like you.
  2. Mentoring With Megan. Need we say more?
  3. Hear incredible speakers!
Next Tour Locations!
In a recent Gallup study, only 11 percent of corporate executives perceived that college graduates had the skills they were looking for. How can we better prepare the next generation for the jobs of tomorrow? 
In her new book, Teach to Work: How a Mentor, a Mentee and a Project Can Close the Skills Gap in America (Taylor and Francis: March 28, 2017) mentoring expert Patty empowers professionals – whether they are bankers, lawyers, architects, accountants, engineers, IT specialists or artists – to bring their real-world experience and her project based mentoring model into the classroom. 
Compelling and insightful, the book reveals how professionals can embark on a journey to transform lives, mentoring one student at a time. 
“You have made a difference in the lives of these kids, and most likely you have made a difference in the lives of their kids as well. They have grabbed hold of your light, because they feel your encouragement and kindness, and maybe because they had no other. Thank you for your important leadership in this role.” 
— Chris Gardener, Author of The Pursuit of Happyness, 2010 NFTE Dare to Dream speech 
For more information visit  www.teachtowork.com
 
Women’s Quick Facts brings to life insightful data on the impact of women that everyone should know. From purchasing power, to how efficient women owned companies are with respect to capital compared to men, this book takes the pulse on women in today’s modern economy. Not only does each page compile a broad spectrum of the most current data, it also brings the numbers to life in bite size, easy to read content.

Million Women Mentors | STEMconnector | 202-304-1964 | [email protected] | www.MillionWomenMentors.org