5 for Good: Science Club for Girls Inspires Next Generation of STEM Leaders
A heartwarming initiative with 300 volunteer mentors
BOSTON — A rocket launch is helping sixth grader Catherine Tran aim high as Science Club for Girls works to inspire the next generation of scientists and problem solvers.
Science Club for Girls offers free STEM programming—science, technology, engineering, and math—with nearly 300 mentors guiding students. Catherine’s mentor, Kaitlyn Webster, a reproductive biologist and postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School, plays a significant role in her journey.
“She’s really nice and she’s really good at explaining things,” Catherine shares about Webster, who studies Mexican tetra, or cave fish, in a lab at UMass Boston. Webster has a passion for contributing to knowledge in reproductive healthcare, particularly for women.
Growing up in East Cambridge, Webster became the first in her family to attend college, earn a graduate degree, and receive a doctorate, thanks to the support of a female science teacher in middle school who recognized her potential.
“She nurtured my interests,” Webster recalls. “She worked with me to turn that possibility into a life-changing opportunity that I really see as my origin story.” Now, she is providing similar mentorship to young girls.
Bonnie Bertolaet, executive director of Science Club for Girls, emphasizes the importance of mentors, describing them as “living, breathing role models” who often share similar life experiences with participants. “This really goes a long way to keeping girls in STEM and keeping women in STEM,” she states.
Founded in 1994, the organization works with students from kindergarten through high school, addressing today’s pressing challenges such as pandemics, climate change, cybersecurity, and AI.
Enrollment is open, and Science Club for Girls is also seeking mentors. For more information, check here.
