Seeds of Change

Seeds of Change Program Overview Video

About Seeds of Change

Seeds of Change is a research-impact project designed to address barriers to women’s advancement in STEM and beyond. The Seeds of Change approach is rooted in educating about stereotypes and bias, draws strength in collective healing, and aims to transform individuals into change agents - advocating for themselves and others and, in doing so, for broader social change. At the core of the project is a sociologically-informed leadership development program whose curriculum is grounded in research about predictors of persistence and advancement and how gender inequality manifests in leadership development and opportunities. The program's goal is to develop age- and stage-appropriate awareness, skills and resources that will support girls and young women as they navigate critical transitions in school and in their careers.

Seeds of Change is implemented through two different approaches:

1. In our flagship on-campus program, Stanford undergraduates in STEM disciplines are partnered with groups of high school students interested in advancing the participation of girls and young women in STEM, and they lead them through an integrated curriculum of mentoring, training, and skills development.
2. In our newly-developed Educator Training Program, we partner with high schools and youth-serving organizations to train their educators in the Seeds of Change curriculum, which they deploy in their local contexts.

Learn more about the Seeds of Change research agenda at Empowering Change Agents.