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Pink Space Theory STEAM for Underserved Youth By Amy Falkofske
W
hen Monica Nichols, President and Founder of Pink Space Theory, launched into her college career at Michigan State University as an engineering student, she found she lacked the needed math skills despite ranking in the top 10% of her high school class. This experience drove her desire to help better prepare other girls of color for success in STEM careers. “Our mission is to expose, engage and empower underserved youth, especially girls, with STEM or STEAM learning experiences to prepare them for their future career paths and their passions,” said Nichols.
Closing the Gap Even though Nichols felt ill-prepared to pursue an engineering degree in college, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Engineering Arts from Michigan State University. She also holds a Master of Science Degree from Virginia Tech and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Marymount University. “My own personal STEM journey and challenges opened up the door so that I can become an advocate for the young ladies who are not where they need to be, but to let them know that won't negate you from pursuing your dream of becoming an engineer,” said Nichols. Nichols also wants to send the message that you don’t have to be a whiz in math to pursue a STEM career. “I think a lot of times that girls may not want to pursue a STEM career because they think, ‘Well, I'm not good enough. I'm not good at math.’ It's about letting students know that you don't
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August 2021 prince william living
have to be a whiz at science, math or even engineering. You just have to have the interest, and you have to be willing to put in the work if you are not strong in a particular subject. So it's about closing the gap,” she said.
Including the Arts Pink Space Theory goes beyond STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and incorporates creativity into their curriculum by adding an A for art to make STEAM. She notes there are several factors that affect whether or not many young females of color decide to pursue STEM (or STEAM) careers. “There are three variables that I think play a role in my girls and students of color wanting to pursue STEM. I think it goes back to having an opportunity to see that STEM is fun and that you still can pursue a STEM or STEAM career without giving up your creativity, and then also being able to see yourself in particular STEM roles. Then I think it’s also important to help them build their confidence. Those are the three areas that our programs primarily focus on,” she said.
Pink Space Theory’s Programs Pink Space Theory offers STEAM hands-on programs that target early learners up through 12th grade. “We want to complement what students are learning academically in the classroom, and we want to introduce them to new ways to approach those STEM subjects to help them understand those challenging concepts. Then lastly, we want to help stimulate students’ critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity, which is oftentimes referred to as
