Chapter 3: Tomorrow’s Workforce in Afterschool Programs Today: STEM-Focused Afterschool Programs and Systems

How can afterschool and summer programs inspire the leaders, thinkers, and innovators of tomorrow?

A recent high school graduate from Hazel Green, Alabama, Mackenzie got hooked on computer science in an afterschool STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program called Kode with Klossy. She joined Girls Who Code and served as an instructor in both programs. She called these programs a “catalyst” exposing her to STEM broadly. Mackenzie was selected to the inaugural Million Girls Moonshot Flight Crew in 2022 where she could become an ambassador for afterschool STEM programs. She is now a computer science major at Cornell University pursuing her passions in biomedical engineering, computer science, and astrophysics.