A Conversation with Yamilee Toussaint

Only 29% of people employed in STEM careers are women, and less than 5% of those women are Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Latina.*𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨.Hi, I’m Yamilée 👋🏽 – a mechanical engineer with a degree from MIT who took a literal leap of faith ten years ago to launch a STEM-focused dance organization.𝘼𝙣 𝙤𝙙𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬. But it’s far from your traditional dance program. At STEM From Dance, we get girls of color excited about careers in technology through dance. Through engaging programs, our girls:💃🏽 Choreograph dances💃🏽 Conceptualize technology elements to complement their choreography💃🏽 Code and build that technology and incorporate it into their dancesYou’re probably asking yourself how I came up with this idea. As I sat in my first mechanical engineering class, I looked around and saw 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 few women of color. That’s when I dug into the research and learned how underrepresented women and women of color are in STEM-related careers. Following college, I knew I wanted to combine my passion for dance with my desire to change the representation of women of color in STEM careers at a systemic level. I was uniquely positioned to create something new and innovative that could change those stats. That’s when STEM From Dance was born. My idea became a mission, that mission became an organization, and ten years later, we’re expanding nationally. STEM jobs play a significant role in society, and these careers are missing the insight, intellect, and creativity that black and brown women offer. They need to claim their rightful place in society among the computer scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who are innovating and reinventing how we live, work, and play. We’re encouraging girls of color to enter tech careers by building knowledge along with:✅ Culture✅ Confidence✅ Community✅ CreativityIf you’re intrigued, reach out to learn how you can help us expand STEM From Dance to the national stage. We want to establish meaningful partnerships with investors, schools, and local community organizations to bring this valuable tech-infused dance program to new regions. Check us out >> www.stemfromdance.orgYou can also reach me directly >> [email protected]*National Science Foundation