The City of Charlotte partnered with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for the inaugural InnovateHER event, a workforce development experience connecting more than 250 middle and high school girls with technology careers, local employers and women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), at the Spectrum Center on Sept. 16. 

The experience was designed to expose girls to technology career pathways and build confidence, curiosity and connections.

“When we expose students to new possibilities and empower them to lead, we expand what they believe is possible for their own future,” said CMS Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill. “Programs like InnovateHER Charlotte help young women build confidence, develop critical skills and discover pathways they may have never imagined. By investing in their growth today, we are cultivating the innovators, leaders and problem solvers who will help shape Charlotte’s future for generations to come.”

More than 30 partner organizations had tables throughout the concourse of the Spectrum Center for the girls to visit and interact with. They also listened to a keynote by Dr. DaQuita Pounds, a CMS curriculum instructional specialist, a fireside chat on “Being Human in an AI World” and attended breakout sessions on topics including artificial intelligence, robotics, smart technology and computer programming. Five students also won laptops thanks to E2D, Eliminate the Digital Divide.

“I hope the girls see themselves in today,” said Rebecca Serena, I&T project manager for the City of Charlotte. “I hope that somebody they see on the stage, somebody that they see in the breakout session or someone that they meet in the arena, that they’ve seen themselves here and they can see themselves doing the same thing as that person in 10 years.”

CMS Executive Director of Career and Technical Education Eric Summerour is grateful for the community support around InnovateHER and is looking forward to expanding it in years to come.

“This was a great opportunity to introduce our young ladies to opportunities that they might not have known existed,” said Summerour. “I hope they use this as an opportunity to talk to people in different fields that they want to know more about. Find those people, make those networks, make those connections.”