ABOUT STEMhub

STEMhub is a web-based platform designed as a dynamic resource for women and girls interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and careers.

STEMhub is the first online resource to serve as a clearinghouse for women and girls in the North Bay to learn about regional STEM-related opportunities such as classes, meetups, events, seminars, careers and conferences. It is designed to connect “learners” – those interested in pursuing STEM education or career pathways – with “mentors” who are already working in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
Nationally and in California, the demand for a skilled STEM workforce is growing and STEM jobs offer higher salaries than non-STEM jobs.

The STEMhub web platform uses gaming strategy in its design and offers “badges” to learners for participating in various local STEM events, connecting with other learners and mentors, and for building a mentorship relationship. Learners are separated into pathways according to their current level of STEM participation and can move to other paths depending on their engagement with the platform. Once learners become more experienced in their chosen STEM fields, they receive a certificate from the platform, and they are encouraged to apply for mentorship on STEMhub to help other young women find their own way in any STEM field.


About Community WISE and Career Technical Education (CTE) Foundation

Community WISE (Women Investing in STEM Equity), a project of the Career Technical Education (CTE) Foundation, seeks to build resources and lead change so that every young woman in Sonoma County achieves her full potential. The Career Technical Education (CTE) Foundation, founded in 2013, works to improve the economic outlook for Sonoma County’s youth by investing resources in a coordinated system of college and career readiness programs that lead to high-wage, high-demand, and high-skilled jobs in the county. The aim is to significantly improve overall student success and achievement through innovative educational programs that simultaneously mirror local economic trends and workforce demand. This is accomplished by gathering input from local employers about the skills gap and workforce training needs to help guide and coordinate opportunities to build a constructive connection between educational institutions and industry leaders while retaining the flexibility to respond to the challenges and needs faced by both.

Women working in STEM jobs earn, on average, 33% more than those in other fields, yet women account for only 24% of the STEM workforce. Women’s under-representation in STEM fields begins early, with gender gaps in STEM interests beginning in middle school and growing throughout high school, college and career. To address these challenges, the CTE Foundation launched Community WISE in 2017, a coalition of individuals and organizations wishing to invest in support structures for women and girls in STEM. CWISE has been working strategically for two years to identify innovative solutions that enrich learning experiences and inform career exploration such that more North Bay women and girls will be encouraged to pursue STEM education and careers. An example of this effort includes the successful Girls Tinker Academy, a two-week summer camp that utilizes maker principles and activities to introduce and teach STEM concepts (see Press Democrat article from June 30, 2019).

Creators/Developers

Amber Figueroa, associate executive director at CTE Foundation

The CWISE Steering Committee




Dr. Julia Mossbridge, Project Lead

Dr. Mossbridge is the founder and research director of Mossbridge Institute, LLC, a consultancy focused on transformational discovery management. Dr. Mossbridge is a Visiting Scholar in the Psychology Department  at Northwestern University, a Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, the Science Director at Focus@Will Labs, and an Associated Professor in Integral and Transpersonal Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Her focus is on teaching and learning about love and time, and she pursues this focus by speaking about love and time, leading technology projects, conducting research, and coaching technology executives and engineers.



Polly Washburn, Coder, Developer

Polly Washburn, Web App Developer

Over the last two decades, Polly has designed, coded and upgraded dozens of websites for small businesses, non-profit organizations, university departments, special events and artists. She designed an app that took first place at the 2019 TechStars Startup Weekend in Denver.

Her work experience also includes journalism, filmmaking, project management and non-profit management.


Amelia Whitlow, Designer

Amelia Whitlow, Designer, Coder

Amelia is a first year student at University of Washington. She was awarded a Computer Science Department Award when she graduated from Miramonte High School in 2018. During her time there, she was the Co-Head of the Game Development Club and the Head of the Cryptography branch of the EECS Club.

For the past two years, she has taught over 100 students, ages 6 to 18, programming and game design. From those experiences, she is proficient in HTML, Java, and game theory. In addition to her familiarity of front-end design, Amelia has helped design the visuals of many projects, ranging from website color schemes to small video game level concepts. Her main artist strengths are color theory and composition.

Kim Dow, Designer

Kim Dow, Designer

Kim's company DowHouse brings a fresh and visually arresting approach to any brand, elevating it across print and web media. She prides herself on creating comprehensive campaigns that propel companies beyond their services and products.