How This Black MIT Grad Uses Dance To Encourage More Diverse Scholars In STEM

The nonprofit promotes dance to make STEM education more accessible and exciting to diverse students, specifically young Black girls.

A Black MIT grad uses her love of dance to encourage diverse girls to learn about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Growing up in Long Island, New York, Yamileé Toussaint developed well-rounded interests outside of STEM. With parents in medicine and engineering, Toussaint’s family encouraged her to dance while still obtaining an education. While at MIT, the 2024 CNN Hero even led the dance team.

“It’s always been a source of community, perseverance, and learning how to be determined,” she told CNN.

However, Toussaint immediately noticed that not many Black women like her were pursuing their degree in the pathway. She saw only two of them, including her, majoring in mechanical engineering at the university. The isolating feeling never left Toussaint’s mind, leading her to spark change in her outer New York community.

“What struck me the most is I didn’t feel like I was so exceptional that I should be one of two,” she explained. “I felt like it should be different and can be different… I just started to wonder about a world where the benefits that you get from dance can lead to the outcomes that we’re looking for in STEM.”

After becoming a teacher in eastern Brooklyn in 2008, Toussaint created STEM From Dance four years later. The nonprofit promotes dance to make STEM education more accessible and exciting to diverse students, specifically young Black girls.

The program hosts school and summer programs, reaching dancers less enthused by math and science. However, the lessons work congruently, with participants using STEM projects as they choreograph their moves. By learning how to create code that works for LED strips lighting up the dance floor, the girls realize how science can enhance their performance.

The program has expanded across nine cities within the U.S. Toussaint emphasized that the mission goes beyond filling representation gaps in STEM. They also hope to remind young girls that they can accomplish the things that intimidate them.

“Through dance, we’re able to create this atmosphere that feels comfortable,” Toussaint said. “And with that space, we’re able to introduce something that feels kind of intimidating… So, when they face that hard math problem, they’re reminded, ‘I can do hard things.’”

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, only 14.58% of women in STEM identified as Black or African-American in 2019. While still underrepresented in this field, Toussaint and STEM From Dance hope to remedy this barrier for the next generation.

“I believe that the solution to some of the world’s most pressing problems relies on these girls being in the room because they have a different set of life experiences,” Toussaint said. “They’re creative, they’re intellectual, they’re curious, they’re artistic, and they’re going to bring a different set of ideas to the table, so we must make sure that they are included.”

However, their expansion hopes remain ongoing. The GoFundMe fundraiser to champion these dance enthusiasts and future STEM professionals continues on.