Everyone knows the old adage: “Boys will be boys, and girls will be girls.” What began as a simple way to delineate genders, encouraging girls to advance into humanities studies and boys into engineering and mathematics, has proven to strengthen with the passing of time.

A 2015 report from the United States Department of Commerce revealed that women held 47 percent of all jobs in the U.S., but only 24 percent of those jobs were in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

Unfortunately, this gap is broadening. In celebration of Women’s History Month, students Emma Brown and Michelle Gong of Pinnacle View Middle School in Little Rock worked to narrow this gap in an impactful way.

Last fall, the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas challenged students in grades sixth through 12th to compete in a public service announcement contest through their Girls of Promise initiative. The Girls of Promise program encourages girls to continue pursuing higher-level STEM courses past eighth grade, with goals towards careers in those fields. The winning pitch, “Decide to Strive, Not Hide,” created by Emma Brown and Michelle Gong, impressed judges with its simplicity and powerful message.

As the PSA closes, viewers are left with this quote: “You can waste your time living in the lines, or you can choose to cross them. We choose to cross them. We make our own ways. We choose to set our own path.” 

The 30-second PSA played in movie theatres spanning Arkansas over the winter break in 2017 and again over spring break this week, March 19-23.

The winning PSA will also be played at every Arkansas Travelers home game throughout the summer. Executive director of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, Anna Beth Gorman, believes that the winning PSA is a testament to the many resources working together to help transform the workforce and strengthen Arkansas’ STEM economy.