WASHINGTON, D.C., August 7, 2020 – Today, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) CEO Sean Cairncross joined participants in WiSci-Morocco 2020 for a virtual event to mark the conclusion of the week-long program.
The online programming was part of a supplemental curriculum for 100 girls from Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, and the United States who were selected for the in-person WiSci-Morocco 2020 camp, which was postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. MCC, Girl Up, the U.S. Department of State, and Millennium Challenge Account-Morocco partnered to host the virtual program, which aims to help participants build science, technology, engineering, art and design, math (STEAM) and leadership skills. Additionally, curriculum partners such as NASA, Caterpillar, AI4All, Astrobotic, Georgia Tech, and MIT led virtual workshops and discussions for the online program.
The WiSci Girls STEAM program is part of the U.S. Government’s effort to empower the next generation of female leaders around the world, especially in the STEAM fields. Promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment is fundamental to MCC’s mission of reducing poverty through economic growth—it leads to stronger economies, increased household incomes, and greater growth for businesses.
“Empowering women and girls—half of the global population—is essential to building a future of economic prosperity and security,” MCC CEO Sean Cairncross said. “This innovative program will, no doubt, inspire the WiSci-Morocco participants to pursue further academic, and then professional, opportunities in the STEAM fields.”
In addition to the WiSci camp, MCC is investing $217 million in Morocco and $159 million in Côte d’Ivoire to strengthen the countries’ quality of education, including programming that aims to increase graduation rates, improve learning outcomes, and address the unique learning needs of students in both countries. With the investment of MCC’s grants, students will receive the resources they need to access greater opportunity.
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The Millennium Challenge Corporation is an independent U.S. government agency working to reduce global poverty through economic growth. Created in 2004, MCC provides time-limited grants and assistance to low-income countries that meet rigorous standards for good governance, from fighting corruption to respecting democratic rights. Learn more about MCC at www.mcc.gov.