FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Sister to Sister International’s 16th Annual STEAM Camp Empowers Young Women of Color Through Innovation, Leadership, and Real-world Experiences.

Yonkers, NY – July 2025 — Sister to Sister International, Inc. (STSI) proudly hosted its 16th Annual STEAM Camp, continuing its legacy of empowering young black & girls of color with transformative, hands-on experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). Held at the Yonkers Riverfront Library from June 30 to July 11, 2025, this free camp welcomed 21 middle and high school girls from across Westchester County for two weeks of dynamic learning, career exposure, and community building.

A Holistic Approach to the STEAM Experience

Campers participated in a packed schedule of activities designed to cultivate curiosity, confidence, and career readiness. Mornings began with public speaking, academic prep, and team-building. 

Enriching, Interactive Workshops

Across the two-week program, campers rotated through a slate of skill-building sessions led by seasoned professionals and STSI alumnae:

• Healthy Cooking with Maria Vele, Cornell Cooperative Extension Snap-Ed NY – hands-on nutrition session where girls blended fruit-forward smoothies and built healthier pizzas while decoding nutrition labels.

• Dress for Success with Lauren Morris, STSI Board Member – a confidence-boosting style clinic that showed campers how to create polished, age-appropriate looks for interviews, presentations, and lab tours.

• Code & Conduct with Anette White – fast-moving role-plays and an “Etiquette Challenge” that sharpened first impression, digital communication, and boundary-setting skills.

• Cybersecurity for Young Adults with April Bourne, STSI Steering Committee Member – practical demos on safeguarding personal data, building unbreakable passwords, and spotting phishing & smishing traps.

• Exploring Civic Power with Cammie Jones-Friedrichs, STSI Steering Committee Member – an interactive primer on using individual and collective voices to drive community change.

• Advocacy 101 with Angel Gray & Gabriella Nanna, Westchester Children’s Association, Community Partner – issue-mapping and message-crafting exercises that turned passion into policy action.

• Intro to Podcasting with Lydia Smith – digital storytelling workshop where campers scripted, recorded, and edited pilot podcast segments to amplify youth perspectives.

Global Conversations & Purposeful Paths

A highlight of the camp was a virtual book discussion of The Girl with the Louding Voice with girls from Bridge to Africa Connection (BTAC) in Ghana, fostering reflection and global sisterhood. Dr. M. Morris, Director of Labor & Delivery at NewYork-Presbyterian, visited the camp to share her inspiring and non-linear journey in medicine, reassuring campers that finding your path takes time and resilience.

Hands-On Field Trips & Experiential Learning

Experiential trips offered real-world context to STEAM exploration:

Consumer Reports Lab Visit: campers stepped behind the scenes at the renowned CR Product-Testing Center in Yonkers for a whirlwind tour of its state-of-the-art laboratories and an insider look at how science, engineering, and data protect everyday consumers. The CR field trip fused engineering, chemistry, physics, and media literacy into an unforgettable, day-long immersion showing campers how rigorous science underpins everyday life and empowers consumer voices.

At the Center for the Urban River at Beczak, campers donned waders, swept a seine net through the Hudson, and identified species such as striped bass, blue crab, mummichog, grass shrimp, and white perch—an unforgettable, hands-on lesson in environmental science, teamwork, and climate resilience made possible through CURB educators and the Science Barge partner.

Lab Immersion Day with WWA NextGen at Gorton High School, campers stepped into real-world Med-Tech, conducting hands-on laboratory simulations and charting future career pathways—an experience made possible through the WWA Female Economic Empowerment Working Group, and the leadership of Juliet Armstrong, Laura Sanzel, Sally Pinto, and Lisa Boillot.

Regeneron Field Trip, led by STSI Board Member Dr. Chi Onyewu – Campers tackled a fast-paced “Ad-Campaign” STEM challenge with Dr. Khadijah Onanuga and colleagues, networked over lunch with a roster of Black women scientists, toured the Regeneron Genetics Center, and closed with a Q&A panel featuring Drs. Aaron Jones, Ashley Paynter, Marcus Jones, and others—gaining first-hand inspiration from leaders at the forefront of biotech innovation.

Makaya M. shared, “One thing I will always remember from our Regeneron tour is when a speaker encouraged us to ‘find someone who will uplift and believe in you.’ That message really stayed with me, and that’s exactly what this camp has given me.”

Post-camp surveys showed significant growth:

• 92% of campers reported increased confidence in public speaking, leadership, and STEAM skills.

• 88% felt better prepared for their next year’s math and science courses.

• Parents shared that their children “came home excited about STEAM, inspired to try new things, and more confident about their future.”

  
  

Campers highlighted how much they valued hands-on workshops, the focus on advocacy and self-advocacy, and opportunities to learn from women professionals who look like them.

As Destiny P. reflected, “We learned that using our voices and fighting for our education is essential!”- Destiny P.

Celebrating Achievements and Looking Forward

The camp concluded with a graduation ceremony and family day at Sprain Ridge Park, where campers received certificates, shared their achievements, and celebrated new friendships and skills. Seven “Reach for the Stars” scholarships were awarded, underscoring STSI’s commitment to educational equity and leadership development.

Adding to the excitement, community leaders came out to cheer our STEAM Sistahs on—including County Executive Ken Jenkins, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart‑Cousins, State Senator Shelley Mayer, County Legislator Shanae Williams, and Yonkers City Council Members Gina Jackson and Ellen Hendrickx demonstrating powerful bipartisan support for the next generation of women in STEAM.

What’s Next? The Year-Round STEAM Academy

STSI is excited to continue this momentum with its Year-Round STEAM Academy, offering monthly workshops, field trips, meetups, and tutoring for middle and high school black and girls of color. Membership is open and includes priority access to next year’s STEAM Camp and scholarship opportunities. Learn more and join here.

About Sister to Sister International, Inc.

Sister to Sister International, Inc. is committed to advancing the academic and career potential of young black and girls of color through real-world, hands-on STEAM experiences and a network of caring mentors and partners. Our programs uplift and empower the next generation of leaders. Visit us at www.s2si.org.

Lydia K. Smith - lsmith@s2si.org

STEAM Consultant and STEAM Camp Coordinator  

Sister to Sister International  

Dr. Cheryl Brannan  - cheryl@s2si.org

Founder and President  

Sister to Sister International