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Women's Tech Council and USBE highlight SheTech program that connects thousands of students to STEM careers
Summary
At the Utah State Board of Education meeting, Sydney Tetro of the Women's Tech Council described SheTech, an industry-led program that drew about 3,500 student registrants and nearly 1,000 industry partners, and highlighted internships, student leadership and workforce outcomes.
At a Utah State Board of Education meeting, Sydney Tetro of the Women's Tech Council described SheTech as an industry-led initiative that introduces thousands of students to STEM careers through hands-on challenges, mentorship and internships. Christina Yamada, a CTE education specialist at USBE, introduced Tetro and framed the program as part of the board's broader career and technical education efforts.
Tetro said SheTech brings together nonprofit, public and industry partners to give students real-world exposure and mentoring. She described a single SheTech Expo in which just under 3,500 girls attended and roughly 1,000 industry partners participated, and she said the program includes a 120-member student leadership board and multiple internship tracks.
“Students get an industry mentor, they ideate, pitch and solve a challenge in 30–45 minutes,” Tetro said, describing the program format and hands-on experiences that program leaders say change how students see possible careers.
Program leaders told the board that SheTech runs a summer exploration internship (about 70–100 students annually) and a Tech Buzz media internship that involved 28 students this semester. Tetro also tied the initiative to long-term workforce outcomes, saying the program has contributed to roughly $32 million in economic impact in specific cohorts and about $250 million in cumulative economic impact since the program began.
Tetro emphasized the program's equity aims: she said roughly 87% of attendees reported little or no interest in STEM before attending SheTech, and she raised representation concerns in Utah STEM fields, noting women account for a minority of STEM roles in some areas. Board members asked how many boys attend the event; Tetro said a smaller percentage of boys attend but that boys are welcome and that male mentors also participate.
Board communications coordinator Kelsey Sprout James and CTE specialist Christina Yamada thanked Tetro and other presenters, and several board members encouraged colleagues to attend future SheTech events. The presentation concluded with an invitation for board members to join or support program activities and internships.
