“She Can STEM” public service campaign hopes to destroy stereotypes and promote inclusion

Jan. 14, 2019

Recently, the Ad Council took a big step toward making middle schools the future breeding ground for new generations of women leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

By Jon Reisfeld for All Together, the blog of the Society of Women Engineers.

Recently, the Ad Council took a big step toward making middle schools the future breeding ground for new generations of women leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). It launched “She Can STEM” — an ambitious, new public service campaign to make STEM cool and inspiring to girls.

In the process, the Ad Council abandoned the single-client business model that it had used for nearly three-quarters of a century to produce and distribute such iconic, game-changing campaigns as Smokey Bear, which helped the National Park Service reduce annual acres lost to wildfires from 22 million in 1944, to 8.5 million in 2000. Its famous “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste” campaign for the United Negro College Fund is another example. That effort helped raise $2.2 billion dollars to pay for more than 400,000 minority student college educations.

For “She Can STEM,” the Ad Council replaced that tried-and-true model with something completely new: a broad-based coalition of partners led, in this instance, by such top global tech brands as GE, Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Verizon.

To learn more, read "Early Takeaways from the Ad Council’s New STEM Diversity Campaign" from All Together, the blog of the Society of Women Engineers.

About the Author

Alexis Gajewski | Senior Content Strategist

Alexis Gajewski has over 15 years of experience in the maintenance, reliability, operations, and manufacturing space. She joined Plant Services in 2008 and works to bring readers the news, insight, and information they need to make the right decisions for their plants. Alexis also authors “The Lighter Side of Manufacturing,” a blog that highlights the fun and innovative advances in the industrial sector. 

Sponsored Recommendations

April 14, 2025
This paper addresses where leaks commonly occur, leak detection methods, and practical advice for an audit and repair plan. You'll learn why an ongoing leak detection and repair...
April 14, 2025
This special report explores the latest innovations in compressed air tech to help your facility reduce artificial demand and achieve greater system control. You'll also gain ...
April 14, 2025
Here are some things you can do in between formal preventive maintenance visits on your electric screw compressor to extend compressor life and prevent downtime.
April 14, 2025
Follow these ten steps for energy savings in your compressed air system.