The program, called the Lady Cardinal Mentorship, aims to boost the number of young women who choose to pursue STEM careers in state government, according to a news release last week. It cites a 2023 report from the National Science Foundation that shows women made up about a third of the STEM workforce in 2023.
The application window for the program is open now through Feb. 24 for high school girls who are residents of North Carolina, according to the mentorship website, which adds that a resume, cover letter and transcript are required to apply.
The program will select a total of 15 to 20 mentees to participate, which will involve working 40 hours a week for four weeks for a stipend of $1,700. Each week, the students will spend 24 hours working with their mentors and 16 hours working on a group project.
The program will match students with officials from the North Carolina departments of Administration, Commerce, Environmental Quality, Health and Human Services, Information Technology, Natural and Cultural Resources, Public Safety, Revenue, and Transportation, per the news release. The Governor’s Office, Office of State Budget Management and Office of State Human Resources will participate as well.
The summer mentorship was established in 2019 by the North Carolina Department of Administration’s Council for Women and Youth Involvement in a bid to help balance the number of women and men in STEM careers, according to Department of Administration Secretary Gabriel Esparza.
“The Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program seeks to improve the outlook for North Carolina women, allowing local students to actually see what they can be in state government STEM careers,” Esparza said in a public statement.
