Dr. Mae Jemison and Dr. Ainissa Ramirez To Head the All-Star Speaker Lineup at Envision’s NYLF Explore STEM Program in 7 U.S. Cities
Washington, DC (PRWEB) March 24, 2015 -- The national effort to engage American youth in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) just got a lot more firepower by adding nationally renowned scientists Dr. Mae Jemison and Dr. Ainissa Ramirez to their speaker roster at the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF): Explore STEM Conference. These two experts will share their tremendous insight and experience with the middle school attendees who are poised to become the globe’s next generation of innovators, engineers, doctors, software developers and physicists.
Astronaut Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman in space and holds both medical and engineering degrees. Dr. Ainissa Ramirez, a former Associate Professor at Yale and visiting Professor at MIT, has been credited with shattering the stereotypes of science and scientists. She has long been a champion of STEM careers, and she continues to educate today’s youth about these programs across the US.
“Envision brings notable STEM personalities like Dr. Jemison and Dr. Ramirez together with budding STEM enthusiasts to enrich the learning opportunities available to tomorrow’s leaders,” said Andrew Potter, chief education officer of Envision, “The messages these women share will empower our young attendees to discover their own potential and forge a rewarding future in science -- regardless of their age, gender or background.”
NYLF Explore STEM is a six-day summer program for Middle School students held in seven cities across the U.S. It employs Envision’s proven formula for galvanizing career aspirations in young scholars via an immersive curriculum (that includes hands-on workshops, engaging site visits and first-hand insight from industry leaders.)
Dr. Mae Jemison will be the Keynote Speaker for select NYLF Explore STEM sessions in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Chicago. In addition to making history on September 12, 1992, when she launched into space, Dr. Jemison has been an area Peace Corps medical officer, refugee camp worker, and technological entrepreneur. She founded the international science camp The Earth We Share™ (TEWS) for students 12-16 years old from around the world. She also founded and chairs the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence, a 501(c)3., alongside her consulting firm, The Jemison Group, Inc., which integrates today’s critical socio-cultural issues into state-of-the-art technologies.
Dr. Ainissa Ramirez, Ph.D., will be the Keynote Speaker for select NYLF Explore STEM sessions in Dallas, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Formerly an Associate Professor at Yale, Dr. Ramirez is currently science advisor to the American Film Institute, NOVA and several notable science museums. She is recognized for making science fun, accessible and enjoyable for everyone, through wildly popular online programs, lecture series, and myriad publications.
Envision’s many STEM, technology and medical career programs are part of a critical new national movement to motivate students and maintain our country’s leadership in these important fields. Demand for STEM experts in the U.S. is snowballing, with STEM jobs projected to grow at twice the rate of opportunities in other fields, to an estimated 8.65 million STEM workers by 2018. Women have historically been underrepresented in both STEM college courses and STEM job positions. Envision aspires to play a pivotal role in correcting that imbalance by encouraging today’s young girls to explore fun and interesting aspects of STEM, while developing core skills in communication and leadership.
At NYLF Explore STEM, students of both genders can actually try out their future in STEM, exploring career trajectories and gaining tangible, focused skills. This hands-on career experience gives them a competitive edge, along with the confidence and skill sets needed to bolster the journey through high school, college -- and into a career.
About Envision and NYLF Explore STEM
Since 1985, Envision Experience programs have served more than 500,000 students in more than 145 countries, with academic programs designed to help students develop the leadership and career skills needed to succeed in today’s competitive college and career landscape. NYLF Explore STEM is part of the Envision family of premiere education programs that has set the standard for experiential learning opportunities beyond the classroom. For information about the National Youth Leadership Forum: Explore STEM, visit http://www.envisionexperience.com/explore-our-programs/nylf-explore-stem.
Sayam Khan, Envision Experience, http://www.envisionexperience.com, +1 (703) 584-9345, [email protected]
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