Indiana Providing Thousands of Mentors
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowLieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann says Indiana has pledged 5,000 mentors toward the national “Million Women Mentors” program. The goal of the program is to encourage young women to pursue science, technology, engineering and math careers.
March 25, 2015
News Release
Indianapolis, Ind. — Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann today encouraged Indiana's business leaders to participate in a national women's STEM mentoring program. Speaking at the Eli Lilly Technology Center, she noted that Indiana has pledged 5,000 mentors toward the national goal. These mentors are tasked with increasing the interest and confidence of girls and young women to succeed in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies and careers. The Indiana program is part of the Million Women Mentors, an initiative of the STEM Connector organization in collaboration with over 50 other leading national organizations.
As Honorary Chair of Indiana Million Women Mentors, Lt. Governor Ellspermann noted, “Over the past two years, we have developed and are implementing programs to prepare Indiana's workforce for the jobs in our growing economy. We know that a large number of those positions are STEM-related. However, women only hold 25% of STEM-related positions. We simply need more girls and young women pursuing STEM education and careers.”
She added, “As a female engineering student at Purdue, I can confirm to you that the mentoring and support that I received from the Purdue Women in Engineering staff and colleagues helped me persist through the studies and succeed. Now I ask you to be one of those mentors so you can be that voice of encouragement and a role model for a young girl debating a STEM career or working her way through a STEM course of study. You can be a difference-maker.”
Joining the Lt. Governor for the announcement were Indiana Million Women Mentor Co-Chairs Bev Bitzegaio, College of Technology, Indiana State University and Mary McGuire, Engineer (ret.), Remy International.
About Million Women Mentors: Launched on January 8th, 2014, MWM is the collective action of over 54 national partners and 22 corporate sponsors (as of July 2014) designed to increase the number of girls and women within the high school to work age continuum that persist and succeed in STEM programs and careers. For more information on MWM, please visit www.MillionWomenMentors.org. on the new portal that is being launched today.
About STEMconnector: STEMconnector is a consortium of over 110 companies, associations, academic institutions and government entities concerned with STEM education and the future of human capital. STEMconnector focuses on the STEM workforce and jobs, with a particular emphasis on diversity and women. Our work spans the entire pipeline (Kindergarten to Jobs) and how STEM education experiences translate into careers. For more information, visit www.STEMconnector.org.
Source: Office of Indiana Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann