Miami, Florida Apr 2, 2020 (Issuewire.com) - Each year The Miami Foundation and Philanthropy Miami present the Emerging Philanthropist Award to a young donor who uses charitable giving to drive measurable results around a local cause, broadly improve the lives of Miamians and encourage others to give.
In 2020 that distinguished honor was awarded to Ms. Amaka Amalu, Founder of Tech Girl Power and TutusandCars. She received the award on Friday, March 5th at Jungle Island during Philanthropy Miami's 2020 Donor Next Door Awards Luncheon.
As the sole female mechanical engineer in her firm of 400 employees, Amaka Amalu recognized the need to invest in STEM education for girls. She founded Tech Girl Power in 2016 to provide access and mentorship opportunities for youth in Greater Miami. Through the organization, Amaka hosts STEM workshops at local nonprofits, including His House Children's Home and Branches Miami.
What sets Ms. Amalu's nonprofit apart from other STEM initiatives, is that her STEM workshops include presentations on self-esteem and self-efficacy building blocks (to help improve science and math scores and navigate thru a though life and/or male-dominated work fields). Working with girls from lower socioeconomic communities of South Florida, these additional elements are integral to her program because these girls have more obstacles to overcome than the average girl.
With Miami having one of the highest rates of income inequality in the nation, Amaka believes having the girls go into the growing field of STEM, where 93% of the starting wages are above the national average, will in turn help break the cycle of poverty in these communities. Working alongside other non-profits that are inline with her mission, like Branches Inc, it ensures that the girls who show interest from her STEM workshops have access to tutoring and other programs that can aid in their success in school in order to pursue a STEM field.
In addition to dedicating her own time and treasure, Amaka has motivated others within her network to join the cause. Hardesty and Hanover, the 130-year-old infrastructure engineering company where she works, now sponsors Tech Girl Power workshops, and Amaka's colleagues have stepped up to serve as mentors and volunteers in the program.
"On behalf of the girls we work with at Tech Girl Power, we humbly thank the Miami Foundation and Philanthropy Miami for this distinguished award and shining the light on our cause," said Amalu.
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