New Orleans Girls Explore STEM at Xavier Event

Nearly 100 middle school girls tried hands-on STEM tracks, a step toward closing the gap in Louisiana's STEM workforce.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Secondary Education

New Orleans Girls Explore STEM at Xavier Event

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The American Heart Association hosted its STEM Goes Red event at Xavier University of Louisiana, bringing nearly 100 middle school girls from C.T. Janet Middle School and KIPP Believe Middle School into hands-on science, technology, engineering and math sessions. The event was reported as taking place in the week of October 26, 2026.

Why it matters

For New Orleans families with girls in middle school, the event offers a free, early look at STEM careers at a local university with industry partners. It responds to a gap the American Heart Association cites: only three of every 100 female bachelor's students are expected to work in a STEM job a decade after graduation, and about 27% of Louisiana's STEM jobs are held by women.

Nearly 100 girls from C.T. Janet Middle School and KIPP Believe Middle School attended, rotating through four tracks sponsored by Entergy, LCMC Health, Care Eleven and Hancock Whitney Bank. About 27% of Louisiana's STEM jobs are held by women, compared with the 3-of-100 projection for female bachelor's graduates a decade out.

The players

American Heart Association

A national health nonprofit whose Go Red for Women movement works to raise awareness of heart disease in women and expand their participation in STEM fields.

Xavier University of Louisiana

A historically Black Catholic university in New Orleans that hosted the STEM Goes Red event on its campus.

Entergy

The Louisiana-based utility that serves as presenting sponsor of the event and led the engineering track.

The details

Students rotated through four STEM-focused learning tracks: Science with a Food as Medicine session from LCMC Health, Technology with a look at how healthcare technology has evolved from Care Eleven, Engineering through a bridge-building activity sponsored by Entergy, and Math through a financial literacy lesson from Hancock Whitney Bank. Student in STEM Award recipients were recognized for exceptional interest, achievement and leadership in STEM subjects. The program is part of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement.

The STEM Goes Red event was held during the week of October 26, 2026.
The article about the event was published November 3, 2026.

The Home Front

Louisiana's roughly 27% share of STEM jobs held by women sits within a wider pattern the American Heart Association highlights, in which women bear a large share of cardiovascular disease deaths. Local outreach like this ties workforce development to the health-care and science careers that shape household well-being.

If you have a middle schooler interested in science or math, ask her school whether it offers similar STEM exposure events or sponsor-led career days. Families can review the program details at goredforwomen.org/stem-goes-red.

The takeaway

Early exposure to STEM through community events can open career paths that are otherwise underrepresented, especially for girls. Parents can ask their child's school about similar hands-on programs and sponsor-led career days.