Stem Advantage

TALENT IS EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED, BUT OPPORTUNITY IS NOT. STEM ADVANTAGE, MENTORS, PREPARES, AND INSPIRES WOMEN AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TO PURSUE CAREERS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM) THROUGH PAID INTERNSHIPS, 1-TO-1 MENTORS, SCHOLARSHIPS, PROFESSIONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT, AND COMMUNITY. WE ARE ADVANCING EQUITY THROUGH EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. WE PROVIDE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL MOBILITY TO UNDERSERVED GROUPS, WHILE PROVIDING A VETTED PIPELINE OF DIVERSE TALENT TO BUSINESSES TO FILL THEIR WORKFORCE NEEDS. IN 2021, THE LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL HONORED STEM ADVANTAGE AS DIVERSITY, INCLUSION + EQUITY NONPROFIT OF THE YEAR.

STEM ADVANTAGE LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD BY EMPOWERING TALENTED STUDENTS, WHO ARE MOSTLY LOW-INCOME, FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS, WITH ACCESS TO NETWORKS, EMPLOYMENT, AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY THAT STUDENTS ATTENDING A PRIVATE OR ELITE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY RECEIVE. WE DESIGNED A HOLISTIC PROGRAM THAT BENEFITS THE STUDENT (STEM ADVANTAGE SCHOLAR), THEIR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY RESULTING IN A GENERATIONAL IMPACT WITH A CLEAR PATH TO ADDRESS THE GENDER AND RACIAL WEALTH GAPS. WE SELECTED CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY (CSU) AS OUR FIRST UNIVERSITY PARTNER BECAUSE THE CSU IS THE LARGEST AND MOST ETHNICALLY DIVERSE FOUR-YEAR PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SYSTEM IN THE NATION, AND GRANTS OVER 50% OF ALL UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES EARNED BY CALIFORNIAS LATINX, AFRICAN AMERICAN AND NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS. STEM ADVANTAGE FOCUSES ON WOMEN AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, WHO ARE MOSTLY LOW-INCOME, FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS, EARNING A BACHELORS DEGREE IN A STEM FIELD AND ENROLLED FULL-TIME AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY (CSU) CAMPUSES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THE GREATER LOS ANGELES REGION, ORANGE COUNTY, AND SAN DIEGO. ALL ARE HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS (HSIS).OUR PROGRAM EXTENDS BEYOND GRADUATION SUPPORTING ALUMNI WITH A NETWORK OF CORPORATE LEADERS AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT TO HELP THEM ADVANCE IN THEIR CAREERS, BUILD WEALTH, AND HAVE A GENERATIONAL IMPACT. SCHOLARS AND ALUMNI PAY IT FORWARD AS ROLE MODELS AND MENTORS TO EXCITE YOUNG GIRLS AND BOYS ABOUT STEM. IF THEY CAN SEE IT, THEY CAN BE IT! IN FALL 2021, STEM ADVANTAGE LAUNCHED A FRESHMEN STEM CAREER PATHWAYS PROGRAM TO ENGAGE FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY WOMEN, BLACK AND LATINX STUDENTS, PROVIDE EXPOSURE TO STEM CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, AND DRIVE PERSISTENCE IN A STEM MAJOR. IN 2021, THE LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL HONORED STEM ADVANTAGE AS DIVERSITY, INCLUSION + EQUITY NONPROFIT OF THE YEAR.PROGRAM IMPACT:760 STEM ADVANTAGE SCHOLARS100% GRADUATION RATE WITH PERSISTENCE IN A STEM MAJOR52% WOMEN87% STUDENTS OF COLOR72% LOW-INCOME, FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS $75,000 AVERAGE STARTING SALARY UPON GRADUATION, A SUSTAINABLE, MIDDLE CLASS LIVING WAGEOVER $1.9 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO HELP STUDENTS GRADUATE WITH LESS STUDENT DEBTWEBSITE: WWW.STEMADVANTAGE.ORG