STEM Starts Now!
Last month, during Massachusetts STEM Week, I had the absolute pleasure of joining Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons, Commissioner of Early Education and Care Amy Kershaw, and the incredible staff from Representative Marjorie Decker’s office at King Open School in Cambridge. We were there to see something truly special — Science Club for Girls (SCFG) in action.
As the lobbyist for Science Club for Girls, I often see the organization’s work through a policy lens: connecting equitable STEM access to the Commonwealth’s long-term workforce and innovation goals. But being in that classroom, surrounded by young scientists and their mentors, was something different. It was joyful discovery at its purest form, messy experiments, curious questions, and the spark of confidence that makes all the difference.
We all know Massachusetts runs on STEM. Our hospitals are world-class. Our universities push the boundaries of research. Our biotech and tech ecosystems are second to none. But for all this progress, our STEM workforce still doesn’t reflect the diversity of our state. Women, especially women of color, remain dramatically underrepresented. That’s where Science Club for Girls shines.
SCFG offers free, hands-on STEM programs for girls and gender-expansive youth from communities historically excluded from these fields. Supported by women-in-STEM mentors and near-peer college students, SCFG builds confidence, curiosity, and a real sense of belonging. Over 80% of participants, and many of the mentors, come from underrepresented backgrounds. That’s not an accident. It’s the core of SCFG’s mission: showing every girl that science is for her.
Lieutenant Governor Driscoll’s visit was more than just a photo opportunity. She jumped right into the girls’ experiments, asked insightful questions, and talked about why building confidence early is so important. Her message really hit home: becoming a scientist, engineer, or coder doesn’t start in college; it begins with moments like these, where young people are encouraged to explore and see themselves in STEM.
That moment captured what makes SCFG so powerful. When girls see leaders like Lt. Governor Driscoll standing beside them, surrounded by beakers, cardboard prototypes, and laughter — they don’t just imagine themselves in STEM. They know they belong there.
Massachusetts is serious about building a more equitable STEM future, and organizations like SCFG make that commitment real. From the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s focus on workforce diversity to new legislative investments in STEM access, the Commonwealth is connecting policy, industry, and community in powerful ways.
At 27 South Strategies, we’re proud to help bridge those worlds — connecting policymakers with changemakers like Science Club for Girls. This year, we were thrilled when the Massachusetts Legislature, with leadership from Ways and Means Chairs Aaron Michlewitz and Michael Rodrigues, Representative Marjorie Decker, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Speaker Ron Mariano, and Senate President Karen Spilka, created a dedicated Science Club for Girls line item in the FY26 budget.
Walking out of King Open that day, I couldn’t stop smiling. The buzz in the room, the laughter, the aha moments, it all reminded me that STEM’s future in Massachusetts starts with these small sparks of wonder.
And thanks to Science Club for Girls, its inspiring mentors, and leaders like Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, that spark isn’t just alive, it’s blazing.
