Emerging Leaders in STEM is a fast-paced, hands-on accelerated biotechnology course that introduces high school and college women to careers in STEM in an all-female cohort environment. The free program runs April to July each year. Participating students will get hands-on laboratory experiences and meet female luminaries from all across the spectrum of STEM careers. Mentors lead high school students through career and STEM lab activities while developing relationships to help support each other as they pursue their STEM goals.
What You’ll Get From This Program
- Meet amazing female STEM luminaries during virtual sessions (April to June)
- Build confidence in biotechnology topics
- Learn advanced laboratory skills like genetic engineering and synthetic biology during our week-long laboratory intensive (June/July)
- Earn a completion certificate to boost college applications and your résumé
- Earn a stipend upon course completion
- Make friends with similar interests
Emerging Leaders registration is open to female students currently in high school or college (ages 14-22). All individuals who identify as female (whether cisgender, transgender, or nonbinary) are welcome in this program.
Get notified when registration opens in January!
Text LEADERS to 1.833.272.7159 and we’ll let you know.
Hear from Addison Arredondo, a member of our Emerging Leaders Class of 2024.
Now more than 300 alumnae strong, Learning Undefeated’s Emerging Leaders program develops young women into internship- and apprenticeship-ready future employees with advanced biotechnology skills typically learned in college courses. Through this rigorous, hybrid learning experience, students meet STEM luminaries from a diverse set of backgrounds, learn advanced techniques using professional laboratory equipment, build career readiness and networking skills, and develop friendships that will support their journey in STEM.
The hybrid program model culminates with a two-week advanced laboratory workshops taught in person onboard one of Learning Undefeated’s mobile laboratories.
Emerging Leaders in Biotechnology was purpose-designed in 2020 to encourage young Black and Latina women to explore high-growth military and civilian career areas in biotechnology. More than 300 female participants have already completed the program, and many return a second year to serve as mentors to the high school students.
Cohort Seven: Spring 2024
During the summer of 2024, Learning Undefeated brought its Emerging Leaders in Biotechnology course to Palo Alto College in San Antonio, Texas. Students first participated in virtual learning sessions before convening in person on the MXLab. Hear from Addison Arredondo, a high school senior who completed the program, about what it’s like to discover your STEM passions in this all-female cohort environment.
Advanced content includes synthetic biology and gene editing. The four-month course also helps students succeed in STEM by increasing their science capital in the areas of knowledge, attitude, experiences, and social contacts and networks.
Cohort Six: Spring 2023
Cohort Six, Emerging Leaders in Biotechnology program paired 80+ high school and college women from across the Washington, DC area. The near-peer mentorship model builds confidence and connects students with diverse professionals from STEM careers, with a focus on DOD-connected careers in STEM fields. Hear from some of our program alumnae what they thought of this experience >
Advanced content includes synthetic biology and gene editing. The four-month course also helps students succeed in STEM by increasing their science capital in the areas of knowledge, attitude, experiences, and social contacts and networks.
Cohort Five: Spring 2023
In summer 2023, Learning Undefeated gave Colorado high school and college women the chance to compete in a “Shark Tank” style engineering competition to build, refine, and pitch a product they developed themselves. During the five-day Emerging Leaders in Engineering workshop, participants learned to read schematics, build circuits, and load code while navigating budget, size, time, and materials requirements.
Competition elements included woodworking, 3D printing, Arduino and Tinkercad as the young women designed, built, and ultimately “pitched” their product idea to a panel of judges. This program took place on the Colorado Springs campus of new partner Keysight, and we are grateful for their support.
Cohort Four: Spring 2022
Cohort Four, Emerging Leaders in Biotechnology program pairs high school and college women as near-peer mentors and connects them with diverse professionals from STEM careers in Maryland and across the greater Washington, DC area, with a focus on DOD-connected careers in STEM fields. Meet one of our cohort four alumnae, who returned to serve as a peer educator for this program.
Cohort Three: Spring 2022
Cohort Three, Emerging Leaders in Biotechnology program pairs high school and college women as near-peer mentors and connects them with diverse professionals from STEM careers in Delaware. In-person laboratory experiences will include insider tours of AstraZeneca’s biomanufacturing facility in Newark.
Cohort Two: Fall 2021
Cohort Two, Emerging Leaders in Biotech + Cyber, program pairs high school and college women as near-peer mentors and connects them with diverse professionals from STEM careers in Montgomery County, Maryland. Participants will learn advanced laboratory techniques and cybersecurity skills while building career readiness and networking skills. This cohort will focus on the high-growth industries biopharma, cybersecurity and biotechnology.
Cohort One: Summer 2021
Read our blog post to learn more about the biotechnology curriculum from our 2021 pilot cohort. During virtual sessions, participants heard from female luminaries in the biotechnology fields, many of whom are creating new solutions for DOD and military service members, with a specific focus on highlighting the contributions of Black, Latina, and Indigenous women. Speaker themes focus on unique challenges faced by women in STEM careers, and ways students can build their confidence to overcome barriers that typically discourage women.
The pilot Emerging Leaders in Biotechnology program included 72 female participants, ages 14-22. Nearly 40 percent of the participants self-identify as African American or Black, 20 percent Hispanic or Latina, and 30 percent Asian. More than half of participants are currently (or will be) first generation college students, and many are considering med school, biology or engineering related fields of study.
