INSPIRE Women Act Passage to Encourage Women and Girls to Enter STEM Careers

Washington, DC — U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today supported House passage of the Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers (INSPIRE) Women Act, H.R. 321, a bill on which he was an original cosponsor. The legislation aims to inspire women and girls to consider careers in math, science and aerospace through mentorships and outreach by retired NASA scientists, engineers, innovators and astronauts. Rep. Hultgren is a member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee and co-chair of the STEM Education Caucus.

“Inspiring America’s youth to pursue careers in science, engineering, math and aerospace fields will have a major impact on our nation’s future. Our children are tomorrow’s working Americans, and we need to ensure that they are prepared in order to be successful and have every opportunity available to them,” said Rep. Hultgren. “This legislation supports a number of existing programs at NASA, calling on the agency to focus on ways to help young women, who are woefully underrepresented in STEM fields. Inspiring young people in STEM will further advance our nation’s scientific prowess, economic competitiveness and maintain our status as the destination for the best and brightest in the world.”

This school year Rep. Hultgren launched STEM Scholars, his new youth leadership program which encourages highly-motivated and energetic high school students to become ambassadors in their communities for the possibilities provided by science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Recently they visited SciTech Museum in Aurora to learn from STEM professionals and exchange ideas about STEM opportunities in their own schools.

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