Honoring Women In STEM at The Smithsonian
She Did It and So Can We
Growing up, I loved science. I still do. I dreamed of being an archaeologist, an astronaut, or a chemist. I might have gotten in a bit of trouble for playing in my father's toolbox as well. However, my mother bought books and devices that encouraged my curiosity. Eventually, art was my sweet spot. However, I still geek out on ancient discoveries, images of distant galaxies, and I've been known to mix up some funky concoctions to satisfy my love of creation.
Even with art, the ability to make something new from my imagination brings me joy and feeds my inner scientist. People in my family made things out of necessity. Way before multi-room audio was a thing, it was normal for there to be music throughout our house due to my father's electrical skills and inventiveness. Science was on the fringes of my life, not something that I considered I could or should pursue though it lit me up. That's why I love the Women's Futures exhibit happening in March 2022 at The Smithsonian.
Visibility for women in STEM fields is an ever-growing topic. There are only 25% of women in the STEM workforce. This March, The Smithsonian hosts an exhibit honoring women from varied backgrounds and ethnicities doing remarkable things in areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, who are changing the need to even question, "What does a scientist look like?" The installation and accompanying events are made possible by the Lyda Hill Philanthropies which is responsible for the IF/THEN initiative.
The goal is to imbue future innovators with the reality that a scientist looks like you and me. The exhibit titled #IfThenSheCan runs from March 5 - 27, 2022. It consists of over 120 life-sized, 3D-printed statues of women who are making room for more girls to actualize dreams of working in STEM fields. This is lauded as the largest collection of female statues, ever! Additionally, there is the IF/THEN® Collection, a digital space designed to provide "authentic and relatable images of women in STEM". The video aspect has contributions that expand our perceptions of women in science. It's easy to spend s good amount of time on the platform. If you can't make it to Washington, DC, there is a virtual tour of the Dallas exhibit that debuted in 2021. I checked it out and it looks so cool! I wish I could see it live. Admittedly I got a little teary-eyed. My little scientist sees herself reflected in these phenomenal women.
CrashBell believes in everyone's right to dream about and become who they want to be. We celebrate the innovator in all of us.