L.A.U.N.C.H. Fall 2022 Cohort

L.A.U.N.C.H. Fall 2022 Cohort hosted by Fortyx80, in partnership with the Pittsburgh Technology Council

The LAUNCH program transforms the natural curiosity of high school girls, in grades 10 and 11, into a voice of leadership in the STEM industry. Through our comprehensive program, high school girls will gain insight into their leadership style and be equipped with the confidence to pursue a successful career path in STEM. Through their engagement, our participants experience growth as leaders and exit the program prepared to create positive changes in their chosen career path.

Who Should Apply: 10th and 11th Grade Girls interested in gaining career and leadership skills in the world of STEM. 

FALL 2022 COHORT: *ALL PARTS OF L.A.U.N.C.H. ARE MANDATORY COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM.

PreWork: Sent out the week of September 19

Retreat: Duquesne University, In-Person
October 14: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
October 15: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
October 16: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Virtual Meetings via Zoom
October 25, November 1, 8, 15: 6:30 - 8:00 PM 

Field Trip/Job Shadow: Pittsburgh Technical College, 1111 McKee Rd, Oakdale, PA 15071
November 5: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Final Celebration, In-Person: Pittsburgh Technology Council Offices
November 22, 5:00 PM-7:00 PM

L.A.U.N.C.H. Encompasses:
• Integration of the Athena leadership curriculum which identifies eight Principles of Leadership
• Engagement with an on-staff career coach and educational consultant.
• Utilizing the Birkman Method to focus interests and strengths into a career zone.
• Meaningful interactions with industry women professionals as STEM mentors and advisors.
• Field trips into the world of STEM.
• Building of both peer and professional networks.
• Customized lessons aligned to the PA Career Education and Work standards.
• Experiential learning through on-site visits into the tech industry.
• A capstone project in the form of a plan for entrepreneurship or plan for advocacy with the integration of tech.

L.A.U.N.C.H. APPLICATION FALL 2022

Mentors: 
As a female professional working in a STEM organization, we invite you to mentor these young women and encourage them to secure an active role in the future of STEM. Your commitment can be anywhere from 2-7 hours of volunteer time per cohort, spread out over 10 weeks, depending on your level of involvement.

A female working in a STEM organization can be a:
• Panelist during our opening retreat: “Female Leaders in STEM”
• Mentor to 3 young women for a Saturday afternoon, 30 minutes each
• Virtual Project advisor in the final week of the program

MENTOR APPLICATION

Past Mentors:
Our young women ladies of L.A.U.N.C.H. have the opportunity to work with female leaders in STEM from the following companies:

Shzoom
Snowflake
BNY Mellon
PNC
Innovation Works
Allegheny County Airport Authority
SESCO Ent.
FedEx
Viatris
Lucas Systems
UPMC
Snapology
Sheetz
DICKS Sporting Goods
Meta
Amazon
TeleTracking
Beamdata
Rockwell Automation

Contact Information:
For questions - Marie Pelloni, Sr. Director of Talent & Workforce Development Initiatives, mpelloni@pghtech.org