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get college and career ready

 

BLING! A Summer Institute

Our family-friendly college and career readiness institute, BLING!, provides leadership coaching, career mapping, and interactively embeds visual storytelling of women in STEM with hands-on project-based learning. This grant-funded project of Texas Women’s Foundation features the IF/THEN® Collection - the world’s largest digital asset library of women STEM innovators!

— Current 9th-12th (Open to the public)

— No cost (Max. of 5 participants per group)

— 1 Year (4 quarterly meetings, all-inclusive)

— In-person (Girl Scouts STEM Center of Excellence, Dallas, TX)

— Virtual (Microsoft Teams + mail delivered Bling Box kit

 

Bling Bags(Shown: Lauren, Willow, and Kendall show off their bags, 2020)

Bling Bags

(Shown: Lauren, Willow, and Kendall show off their bags, 2020)

Leadership Lessons & Empowerment (Shown: Girls write motivational quotes to their future selves, 2020)

Leadership Lessons & Empowerment

(Shown: Girls write motivational quotes to their future selves, 2020)

Hands-on Project-Based Learning (Shown: Covid-19 Model, 2020)

Hands-on Project-Based Learning

(Shown: Covid-19 Model, 2020)

Engage with like-minded girls virtually or in person, by yourself, or with your family!

 

Application Requirements

  • Online Registration through December 31, 2021
  • Mandatory Virtual Orientation (ongoing)

Primary
Activities

  • Engage in hands-on tasks aligned to grade-level, content centered around the session theme (4 themes: S, T, E, M)
  • Listen to career talks (live and recorded)
  • Take and review self-awareness assessments
  • Network with other girls and STEM women
  • Deliver team presentations to a virtual audience
  • Exercise and meditate during interwoven fun breaks

Supporting Activities

  • Meet monthly with affinity groups to work on a collaborative project task
  • Complete individual journal once/month
  • Educate family members on your learning

Rewards & Recognition

  • STEM Leadership Certificate
  • Other fun rewards and prizes
  • Graduation Ceremony

Exit
Requirements

  • 100% completion of interim projects
  • 100% attendance
 
 

About Texas Women’s Foundation

Texas Women’s Foundation is Transforming Texas for Women and Girls, empowering them to build stronger, more equitable communities. One of the world’s largest women’s foundations, the Foundation raises funding from a broad base of donors, including individuals, foundations and corporations. These resources support more than $7 million in investments that advance economic security and leadership for Texas women and girls through groundbreaking research, advocacy, grants and programs.

About the IF/THEN® initiative

Rooted in a firm belief that there is no better time to highlight positive and successful female professional role models, IF/THEN is designed to activate a culture shift among young girls to open their eyes to STEM careers by: (1) funding and elevating women in STEM as role models, (2) convening cross-sector partners in entertainment, fashion, sports, business and academia to illuminate the importance of STEM everywhere, and (3) inspiring girls with better portrayals of women in STEM through media and learning experiences to pique their interest in STEM careers.