Gloucester High School Women in STEM Event Highlights Inclusion at NOAA
APRIL 17, 2023 — On March 22, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Northeast regional coordinator, Demi Fox, joined NOAA Fisheries staff to speak with a dozen students from Gloucester High School’s Gender Equity and STEM club. The group was especially interested in hearing from women about the career path that led them to the work they do at NOAA.
Five women from the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) teamed up to share stories from their education journey, mentorship they received, challenges they faced along the way, and how they overcame those obstacles. The women represented NOAA’s Protected Resources Division, Communications and Internal Affairs, GARFO leadership, and the Office of Response and Restoration. Each led a series of 10-minute conversations with small groups of students to foster inclusion and engagement.
Though the goal of this outreach was to inspire the students to pursue their interests in STEM fields, it also had a profound impact on Demi as she learned about her GARFO colleagues’ diverse paths and what drives them to continue working to better protect ocean ecosystems. The group concluded the session with a powerful fact: women represent 47% of NOAA Fisheries’ workforce and in the last 12 months, 58% of Fisheries’ hires have been women. As these numbers continue to grow, reaching new student audiences will be critical to ensuring an inclusive future for NOAA.