If/Then She Can

As the popular axiom goes: "we believe what we can see." What we see shapes our perspectives and our dreams. For this reason, it is essential that young women in STEM are exposed to female role models that will inspire them and instill in them a sense that they can do and be anything they desire.

Resultantly, I was incredibly excited to hear about a new exhibit that was opening up in the NorthPark Center in Dallas, Texas, on May 15. Designed by the If/Then She Can Initiative, the Exhibit has 122 life-size statues, making it the largest collection of statues of women in the world. The statues are all of women working in STEM fields from an aircraft maintenance technician to a paleontologist.

"We're not seeing color in here. We're not seeing race. We're all the same, and what matters is we're women and we're doing science" - UTA mathematics professor Dr. Minerva Cordero.

My favorite aspect of the exhibit is that the statues are all the color orange. As Dr. Minerva Cordero emphasizes, the exhibit is highlighting that every woman, regardless of race, color, or background, can pursue a career in STEM. Every girl can one day have a statue of themselves, and every girl can see themselves in the exhibit.

The decision to display statues was a carefully researched one by the Lyda Hill Philanthropies IF/THEN Initiative. Most statues are actually of men, with many of the major cities in the U.S. having less than 6 statues of real women according to a study by former Treasurer of the U.S. Rosie Rios in 2016. With women comprising only around 28% of the STEM workforce, the initiative wanted to underscore this by connecting it to the fact that women are also often underrepresented in exhibits.

The process used to create the statues exemplifies the idea of the exhibit as well. To construct the statues, the organization had to utilize a highly technological strategy. Each woman had to stand in a scanning booth containing 89 cameras and 25 projectors to establish a 3D image of them. Consequently, a 3D printer would be able to create the statues by building layers of acrylic gel. Each statue took at least 10 hours, but it was well worth the time and effort.

Hopefully, the exhibit will spark an interest in STEM for young girls and empower them to believe what they see in these statues because any girl has the ability to pursue her dreams. She just needs to believe in herself first.

If you are in the area, make sure to check out the exhibit yourself at the NorthPark Center in Dallas!