RU CSAT, EQT Foundation and Project Discovery team up to build bridge for young women’s science aspirations
To help young women attend the 2016 Summer Bridge Program at Radford University, the EQT Foundation, has awarded Project Discovery of Virginia a grant of nearly $16,000.
The grant will enable Project Discovery to provide scholarships to the Summer Bridge, a science camp for high school sophomore, junior and senior girls. In 2015, a record number of 83 high school-aged women, representing 10 states and one foreign country, attended Summer Bridge.
Courtesy of the EQT Foundation and Project Discovery, aspiring young women will continue to have the opportunity to get a fast start on their careers as scientists and researchers at the Summer Bridge program, hosted by Radford University's College of Science and Technology.
For a decade, Radford University’s College of Science and Technology (CSAT) has hosted the weeklong residential experience. Students must apply for the camp and their participation is underwritten by scholarships. The immersion experience into university-level academic life features advanced classes taught by Radford University faculty, field trips to area high-tech companies and mentorship opportunities to meet women scientists, engineers and project managers and discuss the pathways, opportunities and challenges for women in fields related to science, technology and math.
“We believe strongly in supporting educational initiatives geared toward a better understanding and increased interest in STEM,” said Ellen Rossi, EQT Foundation Manager. “The Summer Bridge Program provides exposure to female students like no other program in the state. The experience, friendship, and education they will receive at camp will be carried with them for years as they begin their college journey.”
Summer Bridge and Project Discovery have partnered in the Summer Bridge program for the eight consecutive years. Project Discovery, a statewide college access program based in Salem, Virginia, has programs in 22 Virginia locations to work with low-income students and prospective first-generation students. Additionally, more than 60 percent of Project Discovery students are female.
Since 2003, the EQT Foundation of Pittsburgh has supported local programs and initiatives that involve education, community and economic development, the arts, and the environment. Together with a variety of non-profit organizations, the EQT Foundation develops partnerships to enrich the diversity and viability of our communities, sustain the principles of continuous learning and focus on environmental protection efforts.
“We are overjoyed to receive the generous support of Project Discovery and the EQT Foundation,” said CSAT Dean Orion Rogers. “Their continued investment in Summer Bridge is wonderful validation and together, we will pave the way to bright futures for aspiring female science students.”