The first STEM all-girls team from Boyle Heights competed in the Horizon Hydrogen Grand Prix World Finals

Last week, the Boyle Heights Solis S.T.E.M. Magnet High School competed against teams representing 14 countries during the Hydrogen Grand Prix (H2GP) World Finals, which took place in Anaheim, California. Although, Las STEMateras finished in 14th place in the competition they earned the Top Girls in STEM Award. 

Sponsored by SoCalGas, the all-girls team called Las STEMateras built a hydrogen fuel cell remote-control race car that competed in a six-hour race. In this competition, students were given the opportunity to put their knowledge of clean energy into practice. H2GP also challenged the next generation of innovators to design, engineer, build and race their own hydrogen-powered cars.

This is the second trip for the Boyle Heights Solis S.T.E.M. team to the world finals; their first time in 2023  to Las Vegas. “We are so proud of the Boyle Heights Hilda Solis High School team for earning a spot to compete on an international stage,” LAUSD board member Dr. Rocío Rivas said. “Their families and school communities will be rooting for them at every turn because of the teamwork, grit and innovation. Let’s go!”

Women comprise half of the total United States college-educated workforce, but only 34% of the science and engineering workforce, according to the National Girls Collaborative Project. Even though  STEM continues to be male-dominated, women in these occupations increased by 31% between 2011 and 2021. 

Together with the  increase of  women in the U.S. STEM workforce, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics’ 2023 report called  Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities, the industry has  gradually become more diverse, with an increase in representation of Latino, Black and Indigenous minorities. In order to provide access to all students pursuing careers in clean energy, opportunities like H2GP are essential.

"Being able to work together with SoCalGas to provide these experiences to our youth in underrepresented communities is what drives my enthusiasm and allows me to enjoy the work that I do,” said Israel Hernandez, teacher coach of Las STEMateras. “The exposure to real world applications of topics that my students are learning in class is important for them to be able to gain the confidence to pursue careers in the stem fields where we are underrepresented.” 

Students in the H2GP STEM program learn skills that are necessary to transition California to a clean energy economy. Together with SoCalGas’ H2 Innovation Experience in Downey, and the recently revamped SoCalGas storefront at Junior Achievement of Southern California (JASoCal) JA Finance Park, SoCalGas provides hands-on experience for students to learn meaningful lessons in sustainability and career exploration in the S.T.E.M. fields.

Under the ASPIRE 2045 Sustainability Strategy, SoCalGas plans to invest $50 million over five years into communities the company serves, working to advance racial and gender diversity in the workplace and taking tangible steps towards a carbon neutral future by providing support and resources for students towards higher education and career development.