GOALS aims to transform STEM*, the outdoors, and society by investing in the professional and personal development of women and girls, inclusive of all transgender, cisgender, genderqueer, and nonbinary folks who identify with womanhood and girlhood, who are scientists, outdoors-people, and social change leaders. GOALS supports the creation of communities of nurturing and transformation for scholars across their lives – as youth, students, professionals, and life-long learners.
*Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
We believe in the power of young people as leaders, scientists, and outdoors persons. GOALS is an opportunity for people who have had that experience of walking into a classroom, a lab, or an outdoor space and finding that they didn’t belong. If you’ve doubted that you belong in STEM or the outdoors, GOALS is for you.
Our individual experiences in both STEM and outdoor spaces are shaped by our many intersecting identities. GOALS seeks to create a nurturing environment for scholars, leaders, mentors, and volunteers alike to grow as scientists and leaders while exploring, sharing, and celebrating the many facets of our identities, including:
- Race and ethnicity,
- Sexual orientation and gender identity,
- Cultural background and upbringing,
- Hometown and family dynamics,
- Personality,
- Socioeconomic status or class,
- Languages spoken at home,
- Education level of family members,
- Immigration status,
- Body size and ability,
- Religious or spiritual identity, and
- Other identities and life experiences.
