In all science and engineering fields, women make up less than 30 percent of the workforce. Only 14.5 percent of engineers are women. And between 2004 and 2014, the proportion of women earning bachelor’s degrees in computer science actually declined. On this road trip, we’re making visible the stories of women who are leading STEM and pushing innovation forward, to inspire the next generation of young women who are considering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to discover what’s possible.
Meet, Ariel, Elicia, and Regina, who throughout the four half-hour episodes, viewers will follow along a path of self-discovery, guidance, and inspiration as they look for a place in the world that they might fit into.
Elicia is studying electrical engineering at the University of Notre Dame, but she’s taken the last year off to return home to Colorado and teach computer programming to young girls from her hometown. She knows that engineering and helping others are what she’s most passionate about, and she’s not yet sure how to combine those interests—but what she does know is that she wants to push the culture around STEM forward.
Ariel has faced continual self-doubt and negativity from others as she works hard to get through challenging coursework to complete her master’s in biomedical research. She dreams of going to medical school but doubt from others has her second-guessing herself. She wants to find the encouragement and confidence she needs to push past the doubters.
Regina is a freshman studying computer science at the University of Pennsylvania. In coding and computer science, she loves that there are many paths to the same endpoint, but sometimes wide open possibility can be paralyzing. She has so many interests that she’s not sure where to go from here, and whether choosing one path means leaving all the other things she wants to do behind.
Beginning in Boston and then curving south and across the U.S. to end their journey in tech hub San Francisco, this month-long trip introduces Ariel, Elicia, and Regina to paths and interests that seemed unfathomable before this journey.
Media Contact for Roadtrip Nation:
Kelsey Cox kelsey@roadtripnation.com
949-764-9121 ext 220
Media Contact for KQED:
Christina Reagan, creagan@kqed.org
Funding for Roadtrip Nation: Life Hackers
is made possible by: AT&T Aspire
Websites and Social Media
Website: roadtripnation.com
Education Site: roadtripnation.org
Twitter: twitter.com/RoadtripNation
Facebook: facebook.com/RoadtripNation
YouTube: youtube.com/roadtripnation
About Roadtrip Nation
Roadtrip Nation started in 2001 when three friends fresh out of college weren’t sure what to do with their lives. Their solution? To road-trip around the country and ask people who do what they love how they got to where they are today. What started as a road trip sparked an annual documentary series, a number of books, online tools, and an educational organization—all dedicated to helping individuals define their own roads in life. In 2009, Roadtrip Nation expanded into education with the creation of The Roadtrip Nation Experience, a project-based self-discovery curriculum designed to help students explore their identities and find careers aligned with their interests. Today, Roadtrip Nation continues to empower individuals to create meaningful lives doing what they love. To learn more about Roadtrip Nation, visit www.roadtripnation.com. For more information about Roadtrip Nation in education, visit www.roadtripnation.org.
About KQED Public Television
KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS affiliate based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most-listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places, and ideas.
About American Public Television
APT (APTonline.org) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to America’s public television stations since 1961. Since 2004, APT has distributed approximately half of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles. Among its 300 new program titles per year are prominent documentaries, news and current affairs programs, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies, including For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots, A Ripple of Hope, Rick Steves’ Europe, Newsline, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope, America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Lidia’s Italy, P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home, Midsomer Murders, Moyers & Company, Doc Martin, Rosemary & Thyme, BBC World News, The Rat Pack: Live and Swingin’, Johnny Mathis: Wonderful, Wonderful! and John Denver: The Wildlife Concert. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. In 2006, APT launched and nationally distributed Create® – the TV channel featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming. APT is also a partner in the WORLD™ channel expansion project including its web presence at WORLDcompass.org. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org. For more information on Create, visit CreateTV.com.
