When dance meets STEM

Long Island native Yamilée Toussaint has always been passionate about dance and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). She grew up watching her parents pursue STEM careers, and always dreamed of a day when she could follow in their footsteps.

Yamilée was surprised, however, when she went on to study mechanical engineering at MIT and learned she was one of only two Black women in her major. 

• “What struck me the most is I didn’t feel like I was so exceptional that I should be one of two," she said. "I felt like it should be different and can be different.”
• Yamilée realized her situation was not unique to MIT: Black women were very rarely pursuing careers in STEM. A 2021 study found that women make up about a third of STEM employees nationwide, and Black workers only account for 9%.

The solution: Yamilée was also head of the campus dance team while at MIT, which involved a much more diverse group of people. She wondered if there was a world in which she could marry her two passions – namely, introducing STEM through the art of dance.

A few years later, STEM From Dance was born.

For the last twelve years, Yamilée has run the non profit organization, which integrates dance with STEM education with the aim of making these subjects more engaging and accessible. The program works with girls of color ages 8–18 in nine cities across the US, and is free to its participants.

• In past years, girls have learned how to code LED light strips on their costumes to flash in time with the music as they dance. 
• They've also used computer science to create unique music for their performances.

Big picture: The dancers put on a show for their friends and family at the end of each program session, which Yamilée shares is often her favorite part.

“That feeling that they get, we want them to remember that and … remember that they are celebrated for doing things in STEM,” she said. “So, when they face that hard math problem, they’re reminded, ‘I can do hard things.’”

👀 Looking ahead... The 2024 CNN Hero hopes her organization will inspire girls to consider pursuing careers in STEM in their future.