Empowerment, Preparation, & Placement (EPP) Program
Building on this foundation, our Empowerment, Preparation, & Placement (EPP) Program, introduced in 2022, extends our reach, guiding middle school graduates through their high school journey with continued STEM support, ACT prep, Mentoring Program, University HBCU Tours and Partnerships, Internships, and Externships, Job Shadowing as well as post-secondary planning sessions.
Pathways to Success
How We Serve High School Girls
For high school students 9th-12th graders, EPP offers core academic support such as, test preparation, math and science tutoring, mentorship, HBCU college tours, internships/ externship and job shadowing with industry and academic research partners. Since the summer of 2022 when we first launched EPP services we have secured and maintained 6 unique partnerships. This also includes our international ecology field trip to The Children’s Eternal Rainforest with our partner Friends of The Rainforest in Costa Rica where you can learn more about it here.
MENTORING
ACT TEST PREPARATION
math & science tutoring
College TOURS & PARTNERSHIPS
Internships & EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Post secondary planning
empowerment
Fostering autonomy & enabling Black girls to fully realize their potential.
PREPARATION
Goal setting, skill development, & more, we propel Black girls toward fulfilling futures in STEM.
PLACEMENT
From research opportunities to internships, we empower Black girls to find their place in STEM.
Black Girls Do STEM is always looking for service partners to join us in providing awesome experiences to students, if you offer any of the above services (ACT prep, tutoring, internships, etc) please partner with us!
INTERNSHIP HIGHLIGHTS
THE BLACK GENOME PROJECT
The Black Genome Project seeks to better understand how genomic research is impacting Black Communities in St. Louis and how Black communities value their genome and genetic data. Fourteen Black Girls Do STEM students are working as research interns to gather data via community interviews, analyze data and write up research findings related to this project. More can be learned at BlackGenomeProject.org
BY THE NUMBERS
%
We have had 24/39 girls participate in internships/externships and job shadowing across 6 partner entities.
Metric: 50% participation of youth in summer experiences
%
Of these youth 8/11 high school graduates have gone on to attend college and major or minor in a STEM field.
Metric: 75% of graduate enter STEM workforce or STEM major
%
We have hosted two multi state college tours with 24 girls participating and visiting 9 different schools.
Metric: 50% participation of youth in summer experiences
7 out 10 high school girls participated in summer experiences in summer of 2025
Hosted 8 girls in ACT test preparation with an average score increase of 3 points with some girls increasing as much as 6 points, with our average youth composite score being 21 which is above our state of Missouri average of 20.2.
Metric: Average 3 point increase.
EPP program FAQS
What is the EPP program?
EPP stands for Empowerment, Preparation and Placement. It is our program for high school aged Black girls to continue feeding their curiosity in STEM. We provide ACT test preparation, mentoring services, math/science tutoring, internship experiences, and more.
When can youth join the EPP Program?
After they have completed 2 years in the STEM Saturday Academy program and are entering 9th grade.
What is the process for joining an EPP program?
In August of 9th grade, youth should fill out the EPP application and then they will be added to the group chat. If need to make sure they add unofficial transcripts with all the relevant information student name, school, grade, classes and schedule details.
How long can youth be in the EPP program?
All four years of high school 9th-12th grade. They will need to submit an EPP application annually to maintain their spot in the program.
Why are you just following up now?
In 2024, we did not have capacity to follow-up. However, all EPP program offerings will come out in April/May so we need you to sign up and be ready for this summer and fall offerings.
What is expected from parents of students in the EPP?
Parents are expected to fill out all follow-up forms, pay any required deposits, attend orientation and make sure their youth is able to actively participate in the program offering and if not communicate with us such that we may make the opportunity available to another child.
Is Transportation support available?
Yes, it will be offered for each engagement on the sign up forms.
Will transportation be provided for students to the sites?
Yes. Transportation is available. Families must confirm transportation needs at least four days before each workshop to ensure scheduling
When can we expect an EPP program announcement and how will they come?
They will come via email. Once you submit your application your email will be added to a EPP group and you should not remove yourself from the group. All engagement and opportunities for sign up will be sent via this group and then updated on our parent resource site. https://sites.google.com/bgdstem.com/curriculum/epp-program-sign-up?authuser=0
Who is the contact person at BGDSTEM for the EPP program at this time?
At this time Samniqueka is the contact person for parents, once we have a new program coordinator in place. That person will become the parent contact.
Can youth participate who were not in the SSA program as a middle schooler?
No, not at this time. All high school youth are invited to volunteer with us for special events and projects by filling out our volunteer application on our website.
How are youth selected for program offerings?
Youth are required to sign up. Youth selection will be decided based upon attendance and participation at previous engagements, as availability is known. Sign up will be open to all youth and will be allowed on a first come basis. Once youth numbers are hit the sign ups will be closed. All opportunities are sent via email. It is important we have you and your youth’s email address.
What are the EPP program expectations for youth participation?
Youth should attend all the scheduled orientations and sessions, communicate when they are not available and spend the time making up any homework and complete all surveys or reflections that are required and introduced to them in the orientations. For field trips all medical, insurance, permission forms need to be submitted for youth to engage in those opportunities.
Where do EPP programming offerings take place?
This varies based on engagement.
Post secondary planning is in person.
ACT Test preparation is virtual.
Internships, job/career shadowing is in person at our partner locations.
Math and Science tutoring can be both in person or virtual.
How long does the EPP program offerings take place ?
This varies based on the engagement.
Post secondary planning is 5 weeks every August.
ACT test preparation is 10 weeks every spring, summer or fall.
Tours and field trips vary but are typically no longer than a week long, the previous ones have been 4 days.
Internships are 6-8 weeks in the summer and can also continue or run over into the fall based on our partners capacity.
Math and Science Tutoring is scheduled around youth schedules.
Who are some of the EPP program partners?
Partners are universities, corporations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. We work locally with SLU, WASHU and Boeing.
How has the program been successful this far?
In 2022 we launched our first EPP program service.
Summer of 2022 we had 14 youth in math and science tutoring.
Fall of 2022 we had 6 youth participate in post secondary planning and research universities and scholarships to prepare for post high school plans.
Summer of 2023 we had 2 youth in university internships in research laboratories.
Fall of 2023 we had 4 youth complete post secondary planning.
Summer of 2024 we had 4 youth complete a HBCU tour.
Summer of 2024 we had 4 youth complete ACT Test preparation, raising their scores on average by 2 points.
Summer of 2024 we had 8 youth participate in an international field trip to Costa rica. We are raising funds this year to take another group of 10 youth back in the summer of 2026.
Summer of 2024 we had 3 youth participate in summer programs outside out the St. Louis region facilitated by BGDSTEM.
Fall of 2024 we had 4 youth participate in post secondary planning.
So far this summer we have 2 girls signed up for summer camps at Kansas State University in architecture.
Please check out our youtube and listen to some of our parent and student testimonials from over the last 5 years. https://www.youtube.com/@blackgirlsdostem9896