Aldine Young Women’s Leadership Academy is Developing the Next Engineers

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Amari White (on left) and Lyliana Reyna (on right) with STEM Lab teacher Yvonne Davis.

Students at Aldine Young Women’s Leadership Academy are getting a head start on future STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) pathways. 

Aldine Young Women’s Leadership Academy (YWLA) is developing future leaders in the STEM field. 

Yvonne Davis, YWLA STEM Lab teacher, is creating a love of engineering in her STEM Lab. Davis has been teaching for 25 years and enjoys being in the classroom. When offered the opportunity to work at the new school, the MacArthur Senior High School alumna was ecstatic to play a part in motivating and inspiring young ladies to be leaders in STEM. 

YWLA is built on the foundation of STEM with a focus on college readiness, responsible leadership, and health and wellness. Students are given opportunities to explore STEM fields, which are embedded within the college preparatory coursework and projects, allowing students to develop critical thinking and innovative problem-solving skills. 

Beginning in sixth-grade, students will take STEM electives through technical applications and Project Lead The Way (PLTW). This required coursework through the Gateway to Technology curricula will help guide students to select their STEM pathway for high school. 

“I am amazed by my students’ creativity and desire to discover solutions,” Davis explained. “I can see their determination to figure out how things work and make change. It is our goal at YWLA to create future leaders who are creative and collaborative problem solvers.”

In high school, the students will select one sequence of three STEM pathways of four-year-long courses — Engineering, Computer Science, or Biomedical Science. Junior students will have an opportunity to participate in internships with Houston area business partners to gain real-world experiences in STEM fields. Senior students will take on a Capstone project, where they are required to start and organize a business to solve a complex social problem. 

“YWLA is special because it gives girls the space to grow academically, creatively, and confidently in all academic areas,” Davis said. “I have already seen many of the girls developed a sisterhood and confidence. When they graduate from YWLA to go to college, each of them will know that they can be a leader in any path they choose.” 

Sariah Garcia, YWLA sixth-grader, is using the LEGO Spike Prime kit to build and program a robotic arm to determine which robot arms are efficient for picking up big and small objects or heavy and light objects.

Throughout the school year, students will have the opportunity to hear from guest speakers and participate in field trips that are focused on STEM. 

Aldine Young Women’s Leadership Academy is Aldine ISD’s newest Choice School. The all-girls school officially opened its doors to sixth and seventh-grade students in August 2021. Each year the campus will grow by one grade level and will eventually serve students in grades 6-12. 

To learn more about YWLA and the application process you can visit their table at the Aldine ISD Choice School Festival on November 6. For more information please visit womensacad.aldineisd.org.