Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology  Partners with Chica Project

February 6, 2020

New articulation agreement bridges STEM opportunity gap among Latinas and women of color by awarding college credits upon program completion.

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT) today announced a partnership with Chica Project, a local nonprofit organization serving young Latinas and other Women of Color in communities disconnected from economic opportunity. The partnership awards credits towards BFIT’s STEM programs to students who complete one (of three) eligible Chica Project programs.

Despite the growth of STEM career opportunities within the Commonwealth, women and minority groups remain dramatically underrepresented in the industry’s workforce. Through preparation and mentorship, the collaboration seeks to bridge the STEM gender gap for Latinas and Women of Color.

“From Chica Project’s desire to increase opportunities for their students to succeed in college, to our desire to have a higher representation of women minority students, the partnership seemed like a perfect fit from the outset,” said Marvin Loiseau, Dean of Recruitment at Benjamin Franklin institute of Technology. “Those of us at BFIT are pleased to partner with Chica Project and hope it encourages more young women to explore academic and career opportunities in this ever-growing field.”

In 2018, more than 300 young women took advantage of Chica Project programs, all as part of their mission to provide access to intergenerational mentorship, professional employment experience, and leadership development to young Latinas and Women of Color from underserved communities.

“Our partnership with BFIT will not only support our mission to provide mentoring and career coaching opportunities to an underserved women population but city-wide efforts to diversify STEM careers,” said Erika Rodriguez, Executive Director at Chica Project. “Aside from STEM skills, our students also learn practical skills such as the realities of financing a college education and the realities faced by minority women in the workforce.”

BFIT’s partnership with Chica Project awards 3 college credits (social science electives) towards a STEM program to any Chica Project participant upon completion of one of their programs (School-based, Community-based, and UWander).

About Chica Project

Celebrated by Michelle Obama, Chica Project provides greater access to higher education and careers for underserved, young Latinas and Women of Color (ages 14-18) from resource-challenged neighborhoods in Boston, Lynn and Lawrence, MA. Through a network of accomplished multicultural women, we empower urban girls to recognize their strengths and build the self-efficacy needed to graduate from high school, attend college and move on pathways to economic success.

Founded in 2011, we aim to close the opportunity divide by empowering our participants with the skills, confidence, and network necessary to thrive personally and professionally. We accomplish this through targeted workshops that promote personal growth, leadership advancement, and cultural identity exploration with a cohort of high-school youth in a group mentoring setting. Today, we have served and mentored over 1,500 young women throughout Massachusetts.