FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Yonkers, NY – July 2024 – Yonkers, NY – July 2024 – Sister to Sister International, Inc. (STSI) proudly hosted its 15th Annual STEAM Camp this summer, providing 20 young girls with a wide range of enriching experiences designed to inspire and empower them. The camp featured hands-on STEAM activities, inspirational talks from alumni and other accomplished professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. The diverse interactive workshops like Dress for Success, by STSI Board Member Lauren Morris, Financial Literacy, along with Civic Affairs like Black Women’s Pay Equity Education and Advocacy, along with exciting field trips to notable locations such as the Yonkers Forensics Lab, Yonkers City Council Presidents Office and Chambers, St. Johns Riverside Hospital Radiology Department, and the Beczak Environmental Education Center, to name a few.
Enriching Experiences and Inspirational Talks
The excitement continued with visits from STSI’s incredible alumni, who were campers just like our girls not too long ago! Nia Baptiste, M.Arch, Architect, shared her inspiring journey in architecture as a recent graduate from Howard University. Sayidana Brannan-Douglas, MS, Producer & Documentarian, captivated us with her experiences in the arts and media. She holds a Master of Science in Technology, Business and Media from Stony Brook University. Our Science Talks were nothing short of inspiring with Nalo Russel, Drexel University Graduate, and Khadyja Sarr, MPH, Project Manager at Montefiore Medical Center, Graduate of Howard University who brought their world of science exploration in the medical field to life for our campers, focusing on medical and health disparities.
STSI more seasoned professionals Cammie Jones and Sade Amazan, academic and corporate leaders shared their wisdom on civic engagement and confidence building, respectively. Both are also STSI millennial leaders on our steering committee who shared a wealth of experience with our STEAM Sistahs. STSI Board member and alumni Jordanne Lewis, delivered a biology module and explored health careers with students.
International Linkages with Ghanaian Girls
STSI STEAM Sistahs also had the opportunity to meet virtually and network with Bridge to Africa girls in Ghana. This activity was led by STSI Junior Counselor, Sagar Sarr and included introductory remarks by STSI Board Member, Chiatogu Onyewu, MD, PhD, a Scientist and Operations Manager at Regeneron.
Experiential Field Trips
This summer, the girls had the opportunity to participate in several STEAM exposure trips, including:
Tour of the Yonkers Justice Center Forensics Lab
Production Studio Tour at Kingdom Church
Seining at the Center for the Urban River
Visit to Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) Architecture Firm
Tour of Saint John's Riverside Hospital X-Ray Lab
Yonkers Comic-Con Workshop
Graduation Ceremony and Scholarship Awards
The STEAM camp Graduation Ceremony occurred on Saturday, June 13th, at Sprain Ridge Park during STSI’s Family and Friends event. During this time, students shared reflections on their experiences, and we awarded six "Reach for the Stars" scholarships to: Adira Quarles, Peyton Rohan, Nastashya Johnson, Keyera Gordon and Saintecile Johnson
What’s next… STSI STEAM Academy
Sister to Sister International, Inc. thanks all participants, facilitators, and partners who made this year's camp a success. We also extend a hearty thank you to Lydia K. Smith, our STEAM Program Consultant Lydia Smith and counselors, Testimony Ibidapo, Tiara Kidd and Sagar Sarr.
We are excited to continue providing these real-world experiences so that young girls can explore and excel in STEAM fields and will kick off our STEAM Academy October 1st, 2024 – June 2025. For more information log onto s2si.org
For more information about Sister to Sister International, Inc. and our programs, please visit our website at www.s2si.org or contact us at stsimovement@gmail.com.
Lydia K. Smith
STEAM Consultant and STEAM Camp Coordinator
Sister to Sister International
Dr. Cheryl Brannan
Founder and President
Sister to Sister International
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