Today we’d like to introduce you to Shane Woods
Hi Shane, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Before starting my role as Girlstart’s Executive Director in 2022, I thrived in my career in science education in the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) for 17 years, I began tenure in FWISD as a middle school science teacher and I was able to make my mark in every position I held from department chair to leading the entire district as the K-12 Science Director overseeing curriculum and assessment development while supporting teachers in honing their skills through year-long professional learning opportunities. It was during my time as a campus administrator that a colleague in Dallas sent me a job posting that she said fit my qualifications to a “T”. I applied and from 2019 to 2022 I had the honor of serving as the Senior Director of the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) STEM Center of Excellence, which is a 92-acre living laboratory where kids of all ages can explore and develop their competence and confidence in science, technology, engineering, and math – all while cultivating essential skills such as confidence, resilience, leadership, risk-taking, and problem-solving. I learned how aligned the work of nonprofits is to those in education. We serve our community driven by power missions governed by boards that provide oversight to the entire organization. I saw how critical it is for marketing to communicate with development while making sure every dollar received impacts the overall impact being delivered to those we center in programming. While working for GSNETX, I participated in the inaugural cohort of the Black Women in Nonprofit Leadership. Thirty women leaders from founders to executive assistants came together in 2021 to receive support through self-care, community care, healing, personal and professional development which was all crafted to the specific needs of Black women leaders. Upon the completion of this program, I chose to find a better fit for my talents.
In May of 2022, I joined Girlstart, a national woman-founded, woman-led organization, offering free, year-round out-of-school STEM programming for girls in grades 4-8 across Texas as well as other select locations across the country from Boston to the Bay Area. These experiences are designed to empower, increase confidence, and introduce STEM careers to girls who have historically been marginalized by providing meaningful, hands-on STEM programming through year-round experiences including after-school clubs, summer camps, and other community events. Girlstart is headquartered in Austin, Texas—where we were founded in 1997—and is an active part of our community, serving girls in our STEM Center and meeting them in their schools and via family-focused events across the region.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Decades before I took on the position of leading a national out of school program centered on empowering elementary aged girls to start on their STEM journey, I was a 7th & 8th grade teacher in Fort Worth ISD. During my time in the classroom on the North Side, I looked in the eyes of girls who were being held on the other side of the opportunity gate by adults. Year after year, I witnessed in the eyes of my students the glimmer of what is possible being extinguished by their own families. Hearing my girls tell me that public school education ends at grade 8 graduation was a reality I was not prepared for and one I could not simply stand by and allow so I took on the crusade to educate the community I was serving about how education can be the compass that leads their children and especially the girls out of the cycles of poverty.
I knew this to be true because as a middle school girl I had the firsthand experience of learning the importance of ignoring the limits adults place on children. In sixth grade, I was told that I wasn’t going to have access to the education my peers were receiving across the hall in the GT class because of a test I had never been given the opportunity to sit for. I knew I was destined for more than worksheets and film strips so I went to an adult that understood public education better than anyone else in my humble 11 year old opinion, my grandfather who was a retired teacher and Director of Athletics. He listened to my passionate explanation about wanting to be in the class of geniuses and helped me get a meeting with the counselor that allowed me to enroll in all honors classes the following year as a 7th grader. I ended my 6th grade year with flair as I made my mark by winning the Invention Convention to show to myself that I am more than what adults think I am. I know that I have the spark of determination that is not found in all humans experiencing childhood as a girl.
I will always lean into how I didn’t allow an adult-created circumstance to limit my own inquisitive nature. My life’s passion has always been to help our youth discover the world around them through science. Science opens the door of infinite possibilities for children who have historically been excluded or told that they are weird. It amplifies their connection to the world around them and empowers them to make it a better place. During the time I walk this earth, I will always seek to protect the pilot light of curiosity that is lit in childhood and grows into the fiery engine of innovation as adults who change the world for the better.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I stand before you not just as the Executive Director of this incredible nonprofit, but as a passionate advocate for STEM education and the empowerment of girls and young women. When people ask me, “Why does the world need Girlstart?” My answer is simple. We are here because we are called and inspired to prepare the next generation of leaders in STEM. We believe that every girl deserves the opportunity to explore her potential and pursue her passions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We are here because we recognize the immense talent and potential within each and every girl, and we are committed to nurturing and harnessing that potential. Through our year-round Community STEM events, we have already served over 17,000 girls, families, and community members compared to last year’s total of 10,000. This means more girls have had the chance to engage with STEM activities, learn, and be inspired by STEM crew and volunteers who are leaders within their fields. Exemplary program impact is the cornerstone of our work. We are not just providing STEM experiences; we are creating memorable moments that shape the future of these girls. Our programs are designed to be exemplary, setting the standard for quality STEM education. Through innovative hands-on activities, mentorship, and community engagement, we encourage girls to explore the world around them, develop critical skills, and envision a future where they are leaders and innovators in STEM fields.
In 2024, I had the opportunity to present at several professional meetings on topics related to science education and equity.
At the Zero Barriers Summit in January, I participated in a panel discussion on inclusive STEM learning environments. I shared my experiences and insights on how to engage students with disabilities and their families to create more accessible and equitable learning opportunities.
In March, I presented at the Impact Austin Discover Day on the topic of creating authentic and effective nonprofit partnerships. I discussed the importance of collaboration and shared strategies for building strong relationships with other organizations to advance our shared goals.
At the 8th Annual Greater Houston Area STEM Conference, I delivered a presentation titled “Empowering Excellence: Overcoming Historic Biases for BIPOC Girls in STEM Moving Beyond the Wow! Factor.” In this presentation, I explored the challenges faced by BIPOC girls in STEM and discussed strategies for creating more inclusive and supportive learning environments.
Finally, in May, I was invited to speak at the White House Summit on STEMM Equity and Excellence. As a panelist, I contributed to discussions on how to address systemic barriers and promote equity in STEM education.
Furthermore, I have collaborated with other organizations and institutions in the community to share resources and best practices for STEM education. These partnerships have allowed us to leverage the expertise of others and to create a more comprehensive and impactful approach to reaching girls.
Through my efforts to involve and collaborate with colleagues, parents, and other stakeholders, I have been able to make a significant contribution to the advancement of science education in my community. I am committed to continuing to work towards creating a more equitable and inclusive learning environment for all girls.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
The Roman philosopher Seneca is credited with saying, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”. Every promotion I have ever received was the result of a colleague or supervisor seeing the light within me. They acted as my sponsors to get me the interview, where I was able to show my intellect matched with extreme capability while also showing a promising potential to grow within the position. I have survived and learned lessons from all experiences that others may have deemed as a streak of bad luck, including the year that included a divorce, a demotion, and a declaration of bankruptcy. However, as the words of Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history and the author of The Hill We Climb, states, “There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” I view my life as a series of lessons and wins. I am a wiser person because of everything I have lived through, and just like a diamond formed under great pressure, I shine brilliantly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.girlstart.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iheartgirlstart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/girlstart
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/girlstart
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/girlstart
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFI2SuwVcTNgqgHVXftkIhA
- Other: http://www.linkedin.com/shane-woods-stem
Image Credits
The professional image of Shane Woods is from the studio of Marcus Romes, MarxRo Photography. www.marxrophotography.com
