Did you know that out of every five Latinx and Black students, two love STEM and want to pursue it in college?
However, colleges have only enrolled three percent of these students.
There is an apparent disparity as Black and Latinx find fewer opportunities to pursue STEM than other communities.
However, this is where Niesha Butler comes in.
STEAM Champs
The legendary former WNBA star launched STEAM Champs.
This educational center equips kids between six and twelve with the necessary tools to grow their interest in STEAM.
By launching STEAM Champs, Butler has made history as the first Afro-Latina to open a STEAM center.
The former basketball star believes parents with nerdy kids should support them and let them explore their interests.
Technology will be dominant in the future, and the Black and Latinx communities will be the most affected if children don’t receive STEM skills.
Butler is confident that if the kids who follow her program pursue a STEAM education, they will become professionals.
Niesha Butler is Nurturing The Future
If you consider the statistics, the future of the Black and Latinx community in STEAM looks bleak.
Presently, the Black community makes up 11% of the country’s workforce.
However, the community only makes up 9% of the country’s STEM workforce.
These are the statistics Niesha Butler hopes to change.
Through STEAM Champions, Butler is nurturing a future interested in STEAM.
STEAM is a lucrative industry since statisticians, data scientists, software engineers, and more earn six-figure yearly salaries.
Niesha Butler hopes for more Black and Latinx community members to join this industry and eliminate generational poverty through a single job.
The former WNBA star has her eyes set on improving the community and building a brighter future.
Hopefully, Butler is the first of many in the community to start initiatives to improve our children’s futures.
