VPOST is joining the Million Girls Moonshot, a collective impact initiative designed to increase diversity and equity in STEM. Launching now, the Million Girls Moonshot will help close the persistent gender gap in STEM fields by engaging 1 million girls across the United States in STEM pursuits through high-quality, innovative afterschool learning opportunities over the next five years.

The Million Girls Moonshot is providing grant funding and in-kind resources such as technical assistance, access to educational resources, and STEM mentors to VPOST and the other afterschool networks in all 50 states so they can provide high-quality, immersive STEM learning opportunities to afterschool students. The Intel Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation are each contributing $1 million in grant funding in the first year and STEM Next Opportunity Fund is contributing $1.255 million. These contributions build on the more than $300 million the C.S. Mott Foundation has invested over the years in the 50 state afterschool networks. 

This work is so critical, as women equal half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, but represent much lower shares in engineering (16 percent) and in computer and mathematical sciences (27 percent). LatinX and Black women have even less representation in science and engineering occupations (approximately 2 percent each). 

Learn more about Million Girls Moonshot in Virginia and about equity in STEM by clicking on our factsheets below: