Black women are taking us to new heights!
Bukola Somide and her daughter Olusomi have made the first Black interactive STEM doll.
An Innovative STEM Doll
Their doll is called Somi, the Computer Scientist Doll.
The mother and daughter team took home CodeCrew’s 2022 ExCITE Innovation of the Year award for their creation.
So, what’s the big deal about this doll?
Somi is a doll that fosters a kid’s interest and knowledge of STEM.
Bukola created the doll with her daughter to excite Black girls to learn Computer Science.
Nurturing STEM Knowledge
Bukola was proud to have her work recognized by her peers through the award.
The mom plans to use this acknowledgment to do more to impact children’s lives positively.
Bukola founded Phoenix, Arizona’s Innovant Technologies, to help children think innovatively.
She doesn’t want Black children to lag behind in our brisk-paced digital age.
Instead, Bukola wants kids to have access to simplified Computer Science education with Black characters to inspire them to dream big.
Like former WNBA star Niesha Butler, Bukola hopes to nurture an interest in STEM among Black kids.
Bukola does this through her award-winning EdTech company, which makes innovative and fun educational Computer Science products.
While working in corporate America, Bukola often found herself the only Black woman in the IT department; this lasted throughout her 17-plus-years career.
Educational Equity Should Be Mandatory
In the 2020 Google Gallup, employers, parents, and educators realized that access is vital for educational equity to happen.
When students get Computer Science skills, they are ready for the rapidly evolving job market, two-thirds comprising computing applications.
Black girls are currently less likely than boys to view Computer Science as an essential field, where inventions like the STEM Doll come in.
Bukola also owns a nonprofit, CompSci ABC, which has donated the STEM Doll to various classrooms.
She hopes more Black girls will join this thriving field through her efforts.
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