Update as of Fall 2024

Thanks for checking in on STEM, Braids & Beyond! I really appreciate it. I'm currently working on my PhD. took the insights from my "Hair Braiding is a STEM" workshop and its connection to the STEM gap in urban communities and made it the focus of my PhD Public Scholarship. I'm set to graduate as Dr Emalia Denoon in Fall 2028. I have limited time for events but I'd still love to connect. I will need participants for my PhD research project and I will post it on my Linkedin profile. Feel free to connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emaliadenoon/

FOUNDER

My unconventional journey to STEM

Emalia Denoon

Academic STEM Gap || Activist Speaker ||

Two decades into my career, I stumbled upon a fascinating discovery about myself: I had STEM aptitude— a field that always eluded me. This realization was not just a personal awakening that I may not be living up to my career and earning potential. As a single mom with small children, that was bone-chilling. It also sparked a deep curiosity about the so-called 'STEM gap'—the disconnect between potential learners and their engagement with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Driven by curiosity to support my children towards STEM, my journey turned towards intensive research around the STEM gap. To further validate my STEM aptitude, I decided to pursue a STEM Master's degree and made an unexpected connection: Hair Braiding and Braid Theory in mathematics are, astonishingly, expressions of the same fundamental principles. This revelation was a light-bulb moment, that the STEM gap is due to a lack of knowledge NOT a lack of aptitude. Like many, I thought the STEM gap was a lack of blacks in the field. According to the National Science Foundation, the under-represented in STEM are women of all races, individuals with disabilities, and blacks. With a newfound passion fueled by this insight, I founded STEM, Braids & Beyond— to enhance STEM literacy among the underrepresented in STEM fields. STEM, Braids & Beyond aims to inspire K-12 students towards academic STEM in High School and Higher Ed. Understanding that socio-economics also impacts family access to funding STEM opportunities for kids, I work to inspire parents and adults toward STEM. As the founder of STEM, Braids, and Beyond, and the holder of multiple patents—a rarity, given that women represent less than 1% of individual patent holders—I embody a unique intersection of creativity, innovation, and advocacy. In sharing my story—from a curious outsider to a patented inventor and advocate for STEM Literacy—I aim to illustrate that the paths to STEM are as diverse as the individuals who walk them. Through my work, I seek not only to educate but to inspire, challenging traditional narratives about who belongs in the world of STEM and showing that, sometimes, the most profound connections are found in the most unexpected places.

BUILDING THRIVING STEM COMMUNITIES

through Academic STEM Literacy

  • Hair Braiding is a STEM

    using Pattern Recognition Workshops bridges traditional hair braiding with STEM. This course introduces foundational STEM concepts connected to hair braiding and provides a high level overview of Braid Theory. This course invites anyone interested in STEM to see pattern recognition in a new light, making complex scientific concepts culturally accessible to girl, urban youths and anyone interested in learning something new.

  • Literacy Initiative

    PhD Public Scholarship: In many urban communities, literacy rates are below 30%, leaving over 70% of families without the literacy skills needed to support their children’s academic journey. This literacy gap becomes a significant barrier to accessing the STEM pipeline, which includes AP courses, college opportunities, & STEM careers. Our course tackles this challenge with an innovative, theme-based approach, designed to strengthen both literacy and Academic STEM skills.

  • STEM Aptitude Tool (SAT)

    SAT is to your talents and gifts what your love language is to your life—bridging your natural abilities to a world of STEM opportunities. By connecting students' innate gifts and talents to relevant STEM pathways, this program addresses the career language barriers often found in working-class communities. Through engaging, real-world STEM experiences, we empower students to build a foundation for lifelong growth, meaningful learning, and a successful future in STEM fields.

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