The Bay and Paul Foundations
The Bay and Paul Foundations envision vibrant communities whose skillful collaborations assure just and ecologically robust outcomes for present and future generations. They work to achieve this vision by supporting initiatives that strengthen communities and develop solutions to the challenges currently facing our world.
Since 2019, The Bay and Paul Foundations have helped to close the gender gap in STEM through Earthwatch’s Girls in Science program. Each year they have supported ten underserved high school-aged girls from across Massachusetts as they participate in the Girls in Science program on Cape Cod. Students spend 8-days working side by side with leading female scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).
This program is designed to provide mentorship and support to young women and foster their interest in STEM fields. In addition, Earthwatch learning facilitators guide the young women through skill-building exercises that improve their confidence and teach them to share their stories of science. The young women experience the life of a research biologist as they study the intersection between dolphin bioacoustics and mass stranding events. The data they collect is used to help enhance response efforts to stranding events, potentially reducing costs, injuries, and mortalities associated with whale and dolphin strandings.
I learned about the infinite jobs in science and how there are so many paths that one can take to get to their career. The technology that WHOI is developing is amazing and I am fascinated to see how it develops. I already knew how amazing all scientists are, but it was great seeing so many different careers in science.
— Girls in Science Fellow, 2019
YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS
Earthwatch depends on donations—above and beyond what we raise from volunteers who participate on our expeditions—in order to deliver our global conservation mission. In fact, volunteer contributions provide only half of the total resources Earthwatch needs to sustain over 40 field research expeditions, a wide variety of educational programs, corporate sustainability trainings, and more each year.