Girls for Science: An Organization Founded By Two Twin Sisters
By: Girl Genius
Tags: Girls In Science, Organization, Girls In Stem, STEM, Girls In Tech

Divya and Sweta Srinivasan, Founders of Girls for Science

Girls for Science is an organization founded by twin sisters, Divya and Sweta Srinivasan. They are rising juniors in high school but started the organization during the summer before their freshman year. With the goal of inspiring girls to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, Girls for Science has grown immensely since its beginnings. The organization has a team of girls from all over the country and is constantly growing.

“The main reason we started this organization is because of the gender gap in the STEM fields. By encouraging girls to learn about science and exposing them to STEM-related lessons in a fun way, we think that we will be able to close it in the future. We want to help lead a future where all genders are treated as equals,” says Divya Srinivasan.

“As we grow, we want to reach a wider audience to positively influence as many girls as possible,” says Sweta Srinivasan. From a young age, the twins were exposed to STEM through their elementary school.

The first project that Girls for Science worked on took place in Mysore, India, in 2017. Divya and Sweta held a one week workshop at a local school in India regarding disease prevention. The two taught a class of eighth-grade students about the proper handwashing technique and the scientific method by helping the class conduct a small science experiment about how germs can transfer.

In 2018, Divya and Sweta went back to Mysore and hosted a program where the two spoke about influential women in STEM in hopes to inspire the girls to learn more about science. They also gave three girls who were top in their class in science small scholarships. Many times, money is a factor when higher education comes into play; Divya and Sweta hope that their small contribution is able to assist the girls to gain a higher education regardless of which field they pursue. Later that year, the twins held a 7 week after school program at their elementary school in Orlando. “We wanted to give back to the place that started it all,” Divya says.

“Our love for science started at this school, and we wanted to give back,” says Sweta. The after school club focused on STEM discoveries made by women and allowed first through third graders to participate in hands on science activities.

2019 has been the organization’s biggest year so far. Divya and Sweta have had meetings with legislators to bring the importance of STEM learning to a more legislative level. Girls for Science has also gained a team of amazing girls from around the country! The team is currently working on new projects such as the interview series called “STEM Stories,” and the article series called “Words Matter.” A new section of Girls for Science has been created by member Aneesha Nayak, called Girls for Science Environmental in the hopes of shedding light on the climate crisis.

But the projects don’t end there! This summer, Divya and Sweta are traveling to India where they will continue their annual workshops. They also plan on going back to their elementary school to host another after school club where they will teach students how to conduct science projects so that they can compete in science fair competitions. The two are so excited to inspire and empower girls worldwide and can’t wait for what’s next.

Website: https://girlsforscience.wixsite.com/girlsforscience

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girls.for.science/

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Written By Girls For Science Team| Originally published on Girl Genius Website On August 12th, 2019.