When Dr. Keli Christopher started STEM Greenhouse, she wanted to create an organization that would inspire Black and brown kids to develop an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers, and she is leaving an indelible mark. STEM Greenhouse is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based organization committed to cultivating STEM proficiency in minority children to facilitate their educational and career success.
Over the years, the lack of racial diversity in STEM has escalated into a social justice issue. Despite much societal progress, Black and brown people from other racial and ethnic backgrounds remain underrepresented in STEM fields.
The factors that exacerbate underrepresentation in STEM include discrimination, white, male-dominated cultures, structural inequity, and cultural bias, among many things. Christopher understood that STEM itself is a complex field that benefits from diverse perspectives and backgrounds, and that is why she embarked on the journey of bridging the gap.
“Most people think that STEM is all about robots and equations, and although that is part of it, there is much more to a science career than that, and I wanted to show these kids that they too, can be STEM professionals, no matter what society says,” said Christopher.
Christopher saw that society failed to encourage and support minority students from pursuing scientific careers in many ways. She knew that she had to do something to prevent the STEM field from being robbed of valuable talent in the future.
A seasoned STEM professional herself, Christopher is fully aware of the power of STEM to change lives, transform outcomes and foster change. As the first Black person to get a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Illinois and the third Black woman in the world to hold a Ph.D. in that field, she believes that the younger, minority population can also do the same, but they need the guidance and mentorship of people who look just like them.
With her organization, Christopher is keen on mentorship. She believes that students will remain inspired only when they have teachers and mentors who share the same or a similar demographic affiliation with them.
“Quite often, students can’t see themselves in a career field that they are not familiar with unless someone that looks like them is represented in that career field,” said Christopher. Christopher believes that having representation in teachers and mentors is as crucial as the curriculum itself.
When Christopher was a High School student at Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills High School, she got inspired by meeting a Black woman engineer. In seeing someone who looked like her in that career field found the courage to pursue a STEM career. One of the focal tenets is to provide children of color with role models who inspire them to pursue careers in science, math, and other fields where Black, Brown, and other underrepresented faces have not been traditionally represented.
The benefits of representation can be long-lasting. According to a report conducted by Johns Hopkins University, Black male students who had a Black teacher in elementary school had a higher likelihood of graduating high school and attending a four-year college afterward.
Christopher’s work is steadily gaining momentum and national recognition. Last year, STEM Greenhouse was the recipient of the Sony Create Action Grant, an initiative, according to Sony, created to support the efforts of local organizations through funding, storytelling, and collaboration. STEM Greenhouse is also pushing barriers through top-tier programs like the top-tier by providing after-school STEM programs to elementary and middle school children for over five years. Read more STEM Greenhouse’s groundbreaking work here and watch their riveting music video here featuring DJ Khaled, Beyonce, and Jay-Z!