Congresswoman!Tammy!Duckworth!To...

 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE    CONTACT:    Million  Women  Mentors/  STEMconnector®   Science  Olympiad       Congressional  Office  (IL-­‐8th)  Sheila  Boyington         Jenny  Kopach       Sarah  Keep  National  Senior  Advisor       MWM-­‐IL  State  Chair     847.413.1959  sheila@thinkingmedia.com       jrkopach@soinc.org       sarah.keep@mail.house.gov    

Congresswoman  Tammy  Duckworth  To  Lead  Million  Women  Mentors®  Initiative  in  Illinois  as  Honorary  State  Chair  

State  efforts  announced  to  Advance  Girls  and  Women  in  STEM    WASHINGTON,  DC   September   17TH   –  This  week,  Million  Women  Mentors   is  proud  to  announce  Congresswoman  Tammy  Duckworth   (IL-­‐8th)  as   the  Honorary  Chair  of   the   Illinois  state  effort.  The  national   goal   of   the   movement   is   to   garner   one   million   mentors   in   Science,   Technology,  Engineering   and  Math   (STEM)   professions   over   the   next   four   years   to   collectively   increase   the  interest   and   confidence   of   girls   and   young   women   in   STEM   programs,   college   majors,  apprenticeships   and   careers.   The   Inaugural   Million   Women   Mentors   Summit   will   be   held   in  Washington,  DC,  at  the  National  Press  Club  on  Monday,  September  21,  2015.    “Our  country  must  seek  out  highly-­‐trained  people  to  meet  the  growing  demand  for  professionals  in  STEM-­‐related  career  fields.  Women-­‐to-­‐women  mentoring  has  great  potential  to  increase  interest  in  STEM   education   with   our   young   women   and   girls.   It   also   creates   access   to   employment  opportunities   for   women   in   the   state   of   Illinois   while   also   meeting   the   personnel   needs   of   its  technical  sector.  I  would  like  to  express  my  continued  support  for  mentoring  programs  for  women  and   the   important   services   they   provide.   Additionally,   female   Veterans   are   among   the   best  applicants  to  recruit  for  STEM  positions,  offering  an  array  of  technical  skills  and  expertise  to  meet  those  requirements.  As  any  job  applicant  knows,  it  can  be  difficult  to  find  a  position  that  fits  your  skills  and  interests  well—that  is  why  professional  mentoring  is  critical.”       -­‐  Congresswoman  Tammy  Duckworth,  MWM-­‐Illinois  Honorary  State  Chair    According  to  STEMconnector®  research,  71%  of  jobs  in  2018  will  require  STEM  skills,  but  only  15%  of  female  high  school  students  plan  to  pursue  a  college  major  or  career  in  STEM,  compared  to  44%  of   males.   However,   more   than   3   in   4   female   students   interested   in   STEM   careers   who   have   a  mentor  feel  they  will  be  successful  pursuing  a  STEM  career.  The  time  has  never  been  more  right  to  close  the  STEM  gender  gap.    “We  are  thrilled  to  have  a  leader  like  Congresswoman  Duckworth  as  our  Honorary  State  Chair.  She  has  exhibited  a  passion  for  motivating  more  young  girls  to  follow  pathways  to  STEM  careers  and  has   championed   numerous   educational   programs   throughout   the   state.   Congresswoman  Duckworth  will   not   only   amplify   the  message   of   the  Million  Women  Mentors   initiative,   she  will  marshal  the  resources  of  top  corporations  and  institutions  across  Illinois.  ”    

-­‐  Jenny  Kopach,  MWM-­‐Illinois  State  Chair  and  VP  Marketing  Communications  at  Science  Olympiad  

 Illinois  is  joining  approximately  35  states  involved  with  Million  Women  Mentors  by  pledging  5,000  mentors.   By   taking   the   pledge   at   www.MillionWomenMentors.org,   states,   organizations   and  corporations  are  committing  to  mentoring  a  young  woman  for  a  minimum  of  20  hours.      About  Million  Women  Mentors:    Launched  on  January  8th,  2014,  MWM  is  a  national  movement  of  more  than  54  national  partners,  22  corporate  sponsors  and  35  state  organizations  (as  of  July  2015)  supporting  the  engagement  of  one  million  STEM  mentors  (male  and  female)  to   increase  the  number  of  girls  and  women  within  the   school-­‐age   to  work-­‐age  continuum  who  persist  and  succeed   in  STEM  programs  and  careers.  For  more  information,  visit  www.MillionWomenMentors.org.      About  STEMconnector®:    STEMconnector®  is  a  consortium  of  more  than  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   an   emphasis   on   diversity   and  women.   Its   work   spans   the   pipeline   from   Kindergarten   to   Jobs   and   supports   STEM   education  experiences  that  translate  into  careers.  For  more  information,  visit  www.STEMconnector.org.      About  Science  Olympiad:    Science   Olympiad   is   a   Chicago-­‐area   based,   national   non-­‐profit   organization   founded   in   1984  dedicated  to  improving  the  quality  of  K-­‐12  STEM  education,  increasing  male,  female  and  minority  interest   in   science,   creating   a   technologically   literate   workforce   and   providing   recognition   for  outstanding  achievement  by  both  students  and  teachers.  More  than  220,000  students  and  35,000  teachers  on  7,400  teams  from  all  50  states  competed  in  400  regional,  state  and  national  Science  Olympiad   tournaments   last   year.   A   signature   program   started   in   2007,   the   Science   Olympiad  Urban   Schools   Initiative,   provides   schools   with   minority   enrollment   the   additional   training   and  resources   needed   for   students   and   teachers   to   succeed   in   Science   Olympiad’s   hands-­‐on   STEM  competitions.  For  more  information,  visit  www.soinc.org.