Webb City, MO — 01/22/2024  - By Amal Abuqawod

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, empowering underrepresented groups, including girls, and children of color to explore and excel in STEM fields is a priority. The Million Girls Moonshot, a nationwide initiative, has been leading the charge to bridge the gender gap in STEM education.

And now, it has a new ally in the fight for equality: Kid Spark Education. This dynamic partnership is set to ignite the spark of innovation and curiosity in girls and all other underrepresented youth as we work together to make STEM education accessible to all children in the country.

The Million Girls Moonshot, launched in 2020, is a collaborative effort to provide high-quality STEM learning experiences to one million girls in the United States over the course of five years. This initiative aims to inspire and engage young girls in STEM, dismantling barriers and stereotypes that have discouraged their involvement in these fields. The Moonshot is active in out-of-school programs across the country, leveraging the Mott-funded 50 State Afterschool Network, which has access to more than 10 million youth and 100,000 afterschool programs across the country.

As a coalition partner, Kid Spark will have access to the Moonshot’s wide network of like-minded organizations and collective resources to help increase our impact. Since launching Kid Spark’s STEM Equity Grants Initiative, we’ve been able to fund about 10% of applications. This partnership will enable us to expand the impact of the Initiative by connecting us with schools, informal learning providers, and philanthropic partners looking to fund program implementation. 

 Outside of our direct programs, Kid Spark is also deeply rooted in research. Since 2009, we have collaborated with educators and researchers at the University of California-San Diego, Pittsburg State University, and the University of San Diego to guide the development of our educational programs. We continue to engage in research on several fronts, and our current research projects focus on supporting early elementary educators and adapting our STEM curriculum to serve children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Our objective is to enhance our educational programs continually, maintain credibility within the broader education community, and foster meaningful partnerships with schools and peers. Our partnership with MGM will enable just that and will be a key contribution to our goal of deepening the STEM equity research pipeline.

Kid Spark Education is thrilled to partner with Million Girls Moonshot. Our expertise in creating innovative and accessible, hands-on STEM education resources aligns perfectly with the goals of the Moonshot. We look forward to sharing our programs and research with this wide network of coalition partners!

For more information about Kid Spark Education, please visit www.kidsparkeducation.org.