“Voices in STEM” is an interview series aimed to offer perspectives from women and female leaders making strides towards STEM and Career Tech education in Talladega County.
AAUW Girls in STEAM
Interview with Alesia Williams
What is the Girl’s STEAM project exactly?
The Girls STEAM Project is a community initiative in which we organize STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and Art education opportunities for seventh and eighth-grade girls in Talladega County. We’re partially funded by a Community Action Grant through AAUW Birmingham Branch, and we’re collaborating with the Comer Museum and Arts Center in Sylacauga for the art portion. We want to introduce more girls to STEM and make them feel engaged and encouraged with the topics since sometimes society tells us (falsely) that STEM fields are things that girls aren’t good at and places where girls don’t belong. We believe that tying STEM to art concepts can help spark interest and make it really fun, too! We’ll be doing the project for the next three semesters, presenting STEM workshops with art classes following soon after.
What is your role?
I’m currently working as Assistant to the Project Director, which essentially means that I help out wherever I’m needed. I keep some files and archives organized for the Project Director and I manage all the electronic-y, techy parts. What’s most fun is that I’ve been able to prepare a lot of our creative work: I set up our website, blog, and social media, I designed our logo, and I’ll be making our applications and some of our promotional materials. I love being able to contribute in such a tangible way and it allows me to practice design, coding, and marketing skills that are really valuable to my future career goals.
What is AAUW?
AAUW stands for the American Association of University Women. It’s an organization that focuses on education and advocacy for issues that affect women and girls — things like combating gender bias, advocating for equal pay in the workplace, promoting economic and social development for women, and supporting STEM education (like the Girls STEAM Project!). They’ve done a lot of great work in terms of building strong female leadership and providing scholarships and other opportunities for women to thrive.
How did you get involved?
I think a lot of people get involved with AAUW while they’re in college. Unfortunately, the school I attended in New England didn’t have a chapter and there wasn’t a community chapter nearby, so I honestly didn’t know a thing about AAUW until I came back to Alabama after undergrad and learned that the STEAM Project had been founded in my hometown. I’m glad to be a member now. I believe the organization brings awareness to a slew of important issues facing women that many people are unaware of or are hesitant to talk about.
What is your advice to college students who want to get involved in AAUW?
If you want to get involved, definitely be proactive and seek out a branch within your school or in the area your school is housed. Attend events about the topics you care about and get to know people that share the same enthusiasm. If there isn’t a branch available, don’t be afraid to reach out to your college faculty or administration to let them know about the organization and see about getting a branch started.