These Latinas have all made global impact through their work:
Despite the trailblazing contributions that Alma Stephanie Tapia and Susana Tapia Harper, Karina Naranjo, Zaida Hernández, and Gia Ramos — amongst many others — have made, data shows that Latinas in STEM are still highly underrepresented. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 2% of the computing workforce in 2023 were Hispanic or Latina women.
Despite this underrepresentation, empowered Latinas are not waiting idly in hope this statistic changes: Ahmya Rivera, a national NCWIT Aspirations in Computing High School Award winner and current graphic designer at NCWIT, is creating the world she wants to see — for both herself and generations to come.
As a staunch advocate for STE(A)M education, she wrote, STEAM QUEST, a multicultural story-based activity book for young STEM learners. Through seven interactive components, this text offers diversity in literacy, skills-building opportunities, and a role model!
Emily Mendoza, inaugural #AiCstories Ambassador and 2020 National Honorable Mention and Affiliate Winner for the Aspirations in Computing High School Award, credits her cousin as her greatest inspiration. Her cousin, a previous NCWIT Aspirations in High School Awardee, invited Emily to attend an #AiCcommunity Chicago. Since then, Emily has been fully immersed in Aspirations in Computing and continually works to uplift inclusion in STEM through programs like Girls Who Code, an NCWIT K-12 Alliance member organization.
Stay tuned as NCWIT continues to build the future of tech — another AiC Story Ambassadors cohort, brought to you by Match Group, arrives next year!
During Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15th – October 15th, NCWIT celebrated organizations and people focused on increasing the access and inclusion of Latine people in tech — so there can be more Ahyma’s and Emily’s! Learn more about them below — as, there’s not only space for Latinas in aerospace engineering, Silicon Valley, and environmental justice, but whatever STEM industry their interests carry them to:
Computing Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institutions (CAHSI)
The Computing Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institutions (CAHSI), is a coalition of both private and public partners that cultivate, empower, recruit, and retain Hispanic students in computing.
This spring, the NCWIT Higher Ed Alliancehosted a Meeting of the Minds in collaboration with CAHSI to discuss the organization’’s impact on broadening participation in computing (BPC) and accelerating the progress of Hispanic people in computing. The event also highlighted how NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance members can benefit from partnering with multiple BPC Alliance members.
The event moderator is a powerhouse Latina in STEM. See some of Dr. Ann Quiroz Gates’ accolades below:
The next Meeting of the Minds will be held from 12 – 1 pm PT | 1 – 2 pm MT | 2 – 3 pm CT | 3 – 4 pm ET on November 14th.
Erika Dawson Head, Executive Director of Diversity and Inclusive Community Development at the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst — an NCWIT Higher Ed Alliance member institution, will lead a presentation on how to cultivate undergraduate computing programs that support the retention, persistence, and timely graduation of students of color!
This event is free, open to the public, and geared towards higher education researchers, faculty, and student-facing staff! You can register here: bit.ly/NCWITHigherEd-Meet
Learn more in the NCWIT Media Hub: ncwit.org/event/meeting-of-the-minds-structuring-and-building-inclusive-climates-for-students-of-color/
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) is the largest professional society for Hispanics in STEM in the United States. Conceptualized in 1974, SHPE empowers the Hispanic community to thrive and positively affect the world through STEM awareness, access, support, and development — and is celebrating 50 years of hosting the SHPE National Convention this year!
Working toward bridging the diversity gap between Hispanics in STEM, SHPE engages members — also known ‘The Familia” — through:
The five-day conference brings together thousands of Hispanic scientists, mathematicians, and engineers! As the largest annual gathering of Hispanic STEM students and professionals, there are hundreds of educational workshops and challenges, interviews and job offers, industry awards and networking opportunities, including with NCWIT’s very own, TECHNOLOchicas!
Follow #NCWITontheroad for more upcoming events!
Latinitas
Latinitas, an NCWIT K-12 Alliance member, empowers all girls to innovate through media and tech. Founded in 2002, this Texas-based organization offers Latina youth the ability to discover their voice, develop media and technology skills, and build a solid foundation for their future. Through physical and online programming focused on technology, culture and identity and digital media, Latinitas builds future STEM leaders who are both confident and advocates for themselves and their communities. Their programs include:
Sociedad Latina
Sociedad Latina — named one of the 230 Bright Spots in Hispanic Education by the White House Initiative on Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics — supports and provides opportunities for Boston’s Latine youth and families.
Working across educational, civic engagement, workforce development, as well as arts and culture programs, Sociedad Latina has provided more than 25,000 hours of youth-led community programming. Learn more about their impact creating the next generation of Latine leaders by reading their Annual Reports.
Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), was formed in 1973 by Alonzo Atencio, PhD.. Dr. Atencio invited the few Chicano and Native American STEM professionals he knew to Albuquerque, New Mexico and it was there the founding SACNAS organization was born.
Among the founding members was mathematician, professor, and the first Hispanic elected to the National Academy of Engineering, Richard Tapia, PhD. Dr. Tapia eventually founded the CMD-IT/Association for Computing Machinery Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference — a celebration and promotion of diversity in computing. NCWIT recently attended the annual event in San Diego, California!
Today, SACNAS has built a vibrant online and in-person real community, boasting a network of 10,000+ members nationwide through:
The SACNAS 2024 National Diversity in STEM conference, the largest multidisciplinary and multicultural STEM diversity event in the country, will be held in Phoenix, Arizona from October 31st to November 2nd. You can learn more and register to attend here: s6.goeshow.com/sachn/ndsc/2024/index.cfm.
HSI STEM Resource Hub
The Resource for Hispanic-Serving Institutions, most commonly known as the HSI STEM Hub, seeks to increase the retention and graduation rates of students pursuing STEM associate or baccalaureate degrees at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The HSI STEM Hub is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), a Lifetime Sponsor of NCWIT, and led by a team of faculty and non-faculty personnel who are working toward that goal from:
HSIs are accredited, degree-granting institutions that have a full-time enrollment of undergraduate students that are at least 25% Hispanic-identifying. According to the U.S. Department of Education, there were about 4.2 million students enrolled at HSIs in fall 2022.
You can keep up-to-date with HSI STEM Hub news and events on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram and join their network here: hsistemhub.org/join.
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If you would like to join NCWIT in observing months like this by celebrating organizations and changemakers in real time, head to our social media and learn about people, groups, and resources that work to increase inclusion and representation!
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