Starfly wins Rep. Linda Sanchez’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in California’s 38th District

When asked what inspired the creation of Starfly, the student said, “Women and people of color (POC) are small minorities in the space industry. Women make up only a third of NASA’s workforce, and they comprise just 16% of senior scientific employees. An even smaller amount of the space industry is African American. In 2018, a survey conducted by the American Astronomical Society found that only 2 percent of its members identified as black or African-American. In 2020, there were only around 22 black female astronauts in the U.S. The underlying factors contributing to the racial and gender gaps in astronomy are largely a result of conformity to social expectations, gender stereotypes and roles, limited opportunities for mentoring for minorities in STEM, and lack of role models/limited understanding of the value of STEM fields.

A survey I conducted (with 200+ responders amongst middle and high school students) found that young girls in America show just as much interest as young boys in astronomical fields. Most girls lost interest in STEM subjects after the age of 15, with a peak of ages 11-14. The reasons for the loss of interest overlapped to a great extent with the reasons contributing to the racial and gender gaps in astronomy.

It’s also nothing new that diversity in astronomy is important. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) allows people from all backgrounds to contribute their experiences to a field. Providing access to STEM education and careers helps alleviate disparities and advance social equity. Different perspectives are especially important in astronomical fields to benefit creativity. In addition, STEM skills are always in demand with the demand for computational and informational research expected to rise by a whopping 21% in the next decade.
All of this further cements that the lack of women and POC in astronomy is becoming an increasingly apparent problem. Astronomy is the STEM field with the lowest representation from these minority groups even though it should be one of the highest. The importance of these groups in astronomy are more important now than ever before. In a technologically advancing world, the demand for STEM skills in astronomical fields has been increasing exponentially. Consequently, Starfly’s reach is apparent, directly addressing the underlying roots of the overall issue. Of the current generation of kids ages 11-14, more than half are either female or a person of color.”