TOLUCA LAKE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 10, 2020 / SheHeroes today announced that it received a $20,000 grant from Truist Foundation to create its first middle school curriculum related to STEM career paths.

Dr. Sophia Yen, co-founder and board chairperson, said, "SheHeroes thanks Truist for investing in creating a curriculum to show young people that women can be whatever profession they want to be as long as they work hard toward that goal. Thank you for helping make this happen."

SheHeroes' mission is to show middle school girls successful, interesting female role models in a wide variety of careers so that they can better imagine what their future careers might be. The SheHeroes website hosts dozens of video profiles of diverse, successful women, discussion guides, podcasts, blog posts, and articles relevant to girls and their futures.

"Many of the jobs of the future will be in STEM," said SheHeroes Executive Director Lori Nelson. "The new curriculum will help us show girls how interesting, fulfilling, and meaningful these careers can be. We are grateful for the Truist Foundation grant, which will take us to a new level in resources that we can offer to our educational community."

SheHeroes began to focus on STEM careers in recent years to address the gender disparity in STEM. While women make up 48% of the workforce, they currently hold only 28% of the jobs in STEM as reported by the National Science Foundation. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, STEM graduates are among the most sought after in the job market. Girls cannot afford to lag behind their boy counterparts in this arena when so much of tomorrow's workforce will be in STEM-related fields.

"We're pleased to support SheHeroes in their efforts to empower young women from all backgrounds to pursue STEM careers," said Amir Mossanen, Los Angeles market president, speaking on behalf of Truist Foundation. "Exposing young women to STEM fields and offering them a better understanding of the opportunities available to them, including roles models, makes STEM careers feel more accessible."

About SheHeroes

SheHeroes is a California-based nonprofit that inspires girls to dream big for their futures through a website featuring profiles of successful women in diverse careers, with a focus on STEM careers. Each video comes with a discussion guide. The website and free videos are designed for use by parents/kids, teachers, after-school programs and career/guidance counselors.

About Truist Foundation

The Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation's (TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. The Truist Foundation's grants and activities focus on leadership development, economic mobility, thriving communities and educational equity. Learn more at Truist.com/Truist-Foundation.

Contact:

Lori Nelson
Executive Director, SheHeroes
Lori@SheHeroes

Audria Belton, Truist
[email protected]