The PM Podcast: Reversing the Narrative with Yamilée Toussaint

Episode: Reversing the Narrative: A Conversation with Yamilée Toussaint, a 2024 Top Five CNN Hero
Host: Jay Frost
Release Date: December 13, 2024

Introduction

In this inspiring episode of The PM Podcast, host Jay Frost sits down with Yamilée Toussaint, the visionary founder and CEO of STEM from Dance. Recognized as one of the top five CNN Heroes of 2024, Yamilée shares her journey of merging her lifelong passion for dance with her academic prowess in STEM to empower underrepresented girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Early Life and Passion for Dance

Yamilée's love affair with dance began at the tender age of four. “[I] was 4 years old when I started to attend Cats Dance Studio… the neighborhood dance studio, and I attended there until I was 18, going off to college” ([02:11] Yamilée). Her early years were immersed in a variety of dance styles, including ballet, tap, jazz, modern, African, and hip hop. This diverse training not only honed her technical skills but also instilled a deep appreciation for the expressive power of dance.

Reflecting on her childhood, Yamilée recalls, “the first thing I can remember is being on a stage performing at a recital” ([01:31] Yamilée), highlighting how integral dance was to her identity from an early age.

Balancing Dance with Academic Interests

While dance was her primary passion, Yamilée also developed a strong affinity for math and science. “[I] liked being challenged… math was something that challenged me,” she explains ([05:55] Yamilée). Her parents, both immigrants from Haiti with STEM careers, played a crucial role in fostering her interest. Her mother worked in a hospital lab, and her father was a mechanical engineer. This environment cultivated an equal encouragement for Yamilée and her brother to pursue engineering, breaking traditional gender norms. “[I] never, as a girl growing up, felt like it was unusual for me to dream to become an engineer” ([09:45] Yamilée).

Educational Journey and MIT Experience

Yamilée’s academic journey took her to MIT, where she majored in mechanical engineering. Her admission to MIT was somewhat serendipitous; initially not on her list, she decided to apply to one more school and coincidentally received an acceptance from MIT alongside a peer. “[It was just, like, so gratifying that, like, all these years of taking all these courses, like, it finally paid off” ([17:31] Yamilée).

At MIT, Yamilée balanced her engineering studies with her passion for dance, leading a dance crew and seeking a community that shared both interests. It was during her time at MIT that she realized the unique intersection of dance and STEM could be a powerful tool for social change. “[I] realized that something that makes me unique is my interest in math and engineering and dance” ([19:54] Yamilée).

Transition to Teaching and Founding STEM from Dance

After graduating from MIT, Yamilée joined Teach for America, where she spent two years teaching 9th-grade math in Brooklyn. This experience deepened her understanding of the systemic challenges faced by underrepresented students in STEM. “[I] wanted to start something of my own and let me learn how nonprofits are run” ([27:02] Yamilée).

In 2012, driven by a desire to blend her passions, Yamilée founded STEM from Dance. The organization initially faced skepticism as Yamilée worked to demonstrate the value of integrating dance with STEM education. “When I face initial skepticism and rejection of the idea… it was almost hard to discern” ([29:17] Yamilée). However, her perseverance paid off, as she refined her approach to seamlessly integrate dance and STEM, making the connection explicit for those unfamiliar with her vision.

STEM from Dance: Program Overview and Impact

Today, STEM from Dance leverages the joy and creativity of dance to engage young girls in STEM. The program enables participants to create dance performances that incorporate technology, such as costumes with programmable lights and coded projections. “[We are] using that joy, power, community of dance to get girls excited about STEM” ([31:38] Yamilée).

The impact of STEM from Dance is profound. Participants undergo a transformative experience that shifts their mindset from believing they cannot excel in STEM to recognizing their potential. “They go from like, girls don't do this… to thinking like, I can do this” ([33:42] Yamilée). Yamilée shares heartwarming stories, including recent alumni who have gone on to secure full-time positions in tech companies, attributing their confidence and success to the foundational experiences in STEM from Dance.

Vision for the Future

Looking ahead, Yamilée envisions scaling STEM from Dance to reach a million young women globally. “[I] want this experience available at scale… if dance is the key that unlocks that potential, I want that to be available everywhere” ([38:08] Yamilée). Her goal is not only to expand the program's reach but also to integrate it into a broader ecosystem of organizations supporting girls in STEM. She envisions a world where dance serves as a pivotal tool in reversing the underrepresentation of women of color in STEM fields.

Conclusion

Yamilée Toussaint’s journey is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary approaches in education and empowerment. By blending dance with STEM, she has created a unique platform that not only ignites passion but also builds confidence and fosters a sense of community among young women. Her work with STEM from Dance exemplifies how innovative solutions can address systemic challenges, paving the way for a more inclusive and diverse future in STEM.

For more information about STEM from Dance, visit stemfromdance.org.

Thank you to our sponsor, DonorSearch, and to producer Jack Frost for making this episode possible.