NEW YORK, June 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic has
announced the launch of Rising Voices: Books Empowering Girls
in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and
Math). This new classroom library collection provides K–5
students and educators with culturally relevant and representative
books paired with teaching materials, designed to enrich identity
development, build literacy skills, and support CASEL-aligned
social-emotional learning. Despite representing nearly half of the
U.S. workforce, women made up only 27% of those employed in
science, technology, engineering, and math in 20191.
Among the women who have made it into this workforce, few are women
of color. Rising Voices: Books Empowering Girls in STEAM
showcases girls and women as protagonists succeeding in a variety
of STEAM fields, and celebrates inspiring stories of curiosity,
creative problem-solving, leadership, collaboration, persistence,
and vision. With the inclusion of select titles focused on the
arts, this collection recognizes artistic pursuits for the value
they bring to society and for their significance in enhancing STEM
efforts.
Learn more about the Scholastic Rising Voices Library series:
www.scholastic.com/risingvoicessteam.
To help amplify this important mission in classrooms nationwide,
Scholastic has teamed up with five mentors who are powerhouses in
their respective STEAM fields:
- Tatyana Ali, actress,
singer, producer, writer, and humanitarian, has won five NAACP
Image Awards. She frequently speaks at schools across the country,
is actively involved in Black Girls Rock!, and serves as a
celebrity council advocate for the March of Dimes. "Our duty
is to meet children where their dreams begin. Instead of asking
them to 'fall back' into categories that make us feel comfortable,
let's share with them what it looks like to 'rise up' into the
fullness of their being."
- Estephanie Mosquera-Ortiz
is an elementary school teacher and founder of Beaut&Beast Co.,
a lifestyle and education company dedicated to teaching women and
children self-sufficiency and awareness. "It is
important to provide a safe space in which girls can see themselves
as future scientists, IT experts, mathematicians, and engineers of
the future—not only for them to believe that they are capable, but
also to facilitate a learning environment in which success is
normalized."
- Ronke Olabisi, PhD, has
earned degrees in mechanical, aeronautical, and biomedical
engineering. Today she is an assistant professor at the UCI
Biomedical Engineering department with an appointment in Biomedical
Engineering and an affiliation with the Institute of Advanced
Materials, Devices, and Nanotechnology. "It is my hope that
the books in Rising Voices: Books Empowering Girls in STEAM
showcase a multitude of powerful real women that girls can come to
know, admire, and aspire to."
- Oneeka Williams, MD, is a
Harvard-trained urologic surgeon and an
award-winning author. As a Positivity Catalyst, her vision is that
all girls, especially girls of color, can be inspired to dream big
through the power of story and believe that they can live a life
without limits. "Stories have the power to affirm, enrich,
inspire, and transform, and I have seen first-hand how they can
provide a spark that ignites a dream."
- Duriya Aziz, PhD, Senior
Vice President and Publisher for Scholastic International, has
spent almost 20 years developing curriculum programs based on
Singapore mathematics pedagogical
principles and practices for more than 20 countries.
"Readers, particularly girls and those who may be located on
the margins of mainstream society, may, through these stories, find
their voices, and see themselves wielding influence and agency to
achieve positive outcomes in their lives and in
society."
"We're excited to have incredible women at the helm of Rising
Voices: Books Empowering Girls in STEAM. Each mentor is
a leader and embodies the values and mission at the heart of
the Rising Voices Library series," said Michael Haggen, Senior Vice President, General
Manager, Scholastic Literacy Pro® &
Collections, Scholastic Education Solutions. "Our goal
is to elevate classroom libraries through equitable instruction and
books that give context to today's world while sparking
challenging, yet important discussions. All children, regardless of
background or gender, will be inspired by the achievements of our
STEAM mentors and the powerful stories of tenacity and innovation
within this new collection."
The complete K–5 collection features a comprehensive teacher's
guide, access to a digital resource website, and 150 engaging,
authentic texts such as The Flying Girl: How Aida de Acosta
Learned to Soar by Margarita
Engle; Shuri: A Black Panther Novel by Nic Stone; and Harlem's Little Blackbird
by Renée Watson. With
implementation strategies, discussion prompts, tips for creating
safe environments for difficult conversations, and more, teachers
gain the tools to foster student-led learning and create a safe,
inclusive classroom environment.
Rising Voices: Books Empowering Girls in STEAM is
the second collection in the Rising Voices Library series, which
aims to shine a spotlight on those whose contributions and
potential are often overlooked. It follows the successful first
collection, Rising Voices: Books Celebrating Black and Latino
Boys, created with David C.
Banks, President and CEO of the Eagle Academy
Foundation.
For more information about Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global
children's publishing, education and media company, visit the
Company's media room: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com.
1 United States Census Bureau, Women Are Nearly
Half of U.S. Workforce but Only 27% of STEM Workers
(January 26, 2021).
https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/01/women-making-gains-in-stem-occupations-but-still-underrepresented.html.
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SOURCE Scholastic