If a girl sees a photo of a STEM professional who looks a bit like her, then will that girl be inspired to pursue a STEM career? That’s the hope of the IF/THEN^® initiative, which seeks to advance women in STEM by empowering current innovators and opening young girls’ eyes to STEM professions. As part of the national IF/THEN^® initiative, 125 female STEM innovators were selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Lyda Hill Philanthropies^® to be AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors, who will serve as high-profile role models for girls. To find out more about the IF/THEN^® Initiative and the Ambassadors, STEMx contacted Jessica Hay, marketing and partnership manager at the National Girls Collaborative Project. Hay also provided information on the IF/THEN^® Collection, which calls itself the largest free resource of its kind dedicated to increasing access to authentic and relatable images of real women in STEM while also offering high-quality STEM educational content. The IF/THEN^® Collection is managed by the National Girls Collaborative Project and the Association of Science and Technology Centers. Hay answers our questions below:



Q: Give us some insight into the IF/THEN® Ambassadors program.

A: In 2019, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) worked with IF/THEN® to create the AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors program. IF/THEN® selected 125 women – out of 600-plus applications – as Ambassadors, representing diverse racial, cultural, disciplinary and career backgrounds. These women serve as high-profile role models for middle school girls, engaging in opportunities to share their stories via media and educational programming.

Q: In general, who are the women participating in the program? What areas of STEM and other fields do they represent?

A: These talented female STEM professionals want to inspire the next generation of girls to consider STEM careers. They represent a variety of fields, from climate change research to sports science to cancer immunology. You can learn more about them by browsing the site – AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors.

Q: What will these women do to further the cause of STEM for all?

A: In addition to their inclusion in the IF/THEN® Collection, the AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors have been featured on the CBS Saturday morning series Mission Unstoppable with Miranda Cosgrove, in Marie Claire magazine, in AdCouncil PSAs and as part of the Camp GoldieBlox multi-platform series. The women are regularly provided with invitations and opportunities to share their stories with young girls. 

All AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors have profiles on the IF/THEN® Collection website that include their contact information. If you wish to connect with any of the AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors, you can also email AAAS directly.

Q: Tell us about the IF/THEN® Collection: What is it, what is it used for, and can educators have access to it?

A: Finding high-quality STEM content for classrooms and programs can be tough. Finding content that shows the diversity of STEM professionals and careers can be even tougher. Built and managed by the National Girls Collaborative Project, the IF/THEN® Collection is the largest free resource of its kind.

In this digital library you will find thousands of photos, videos, activity sheets and other assets that present authentic and relatable real women in STEM. The content features careers as diverse as shark tagging, fashion design and training Olympic athletes, all in an effort to shift cultural perceptions of who works in STEM.

One of the main purposes of the collection is to provide educators, museums, nonprofit organizations, parents and students with high-quality STEM content for use free of charge. The assets are meant to make lasting change to the materials and media in the visual world around us.

Representation matters in our physical spaces as well. The “This is What a Scientist Looks Like” poster bundle makes a great addition to classrooms and programs.

Check out the activity sheets from IF/THEN® coalition partner talkSTEM. These include an educator guide and activity page for students. Not only that, but they also are aligned with learning standards such as Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core.

Another great resource for your STEM learning programs are the Curiosity Camp assets. These include videos featuring IF/THEN® Ambassadors and activity sheets. Want to learn about satellites and then create your own DIY satellite? Check out the Curiosity Camp video and activity sheet featuring AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassador Sydney Hamilton.

Are you looking to do career exploration with your students? Check out the Next Gen STEM workbooks that the Eugene Science Center created. These workbooks feature five AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors and will help students see themselves in these different career fields.

All the assets in the IF/THEN® Collection are available for download. To request download, just click on the contact button at the bottom of the page. Then follow the instructions for downloading assets and use the access code STEMx2021. You can request as many assets as you would like. The requests take up to seven business days to process.

Q: How does being an IF/THEN® Ambassador benefit the women participating?

A: AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors receive professional development opportunities. They are learning from experts about media engagement, science policy, social media, career planning and more. AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors have received more than $1 million in funding for 95 projects that will engage students through STEM.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share about the IF/THEN® initiative and/or the Ambassadors program?

A: Finding and connecting with Ambassadors is as easy as checking out their profile in the IF/THEN® Collection. Just click on the AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassador Profile Featured Category. Each profile includes a biography, contact information and a link to all the assets featuring that Ambassador.

Looking for more information about the IF/THEN® Collection and how to use the resources? Reach out to us at info@ifthencollection.org. We are always adding new content to the IF/THEN Collection, so keep checking in for updates.