About ELA
Who We Are
The Emerging Ladies Academy is a STEM-centered education program for young women. ELA provides young black girls throughout Omaha and Ghana with a plethora of hands-on learning experiences to prepare them for a career in tech.
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The Emerging Ladies Academy was founded in 2017 by Tiffany Gamble, who has over 20 years of experience in human and social services. Since 2017, the Academy has grown to offer hands-on after-school tech education in five OPS middle schools as well as community-based tech workshops and courses. The Academy has served, educated and inspired over 100 girls in Omaha.
ELA believe that the future of the tech industry looks a lot brighter with more black women in it.​ Places a strong focus on hands-on learning, teaching their students how to build their own websites, code, and create their own apps.
MISSION
The Emerging Ladies Academy is dedicated to providing tech education, mentorship, and a safe space for Black girls to develop a bright future as skilled workers and leaders in science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
VISION
To cultivate a world where every girl emerges as a confident, empowered leader, equipped with the knowledge, skills, and support network to excel in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Through innovative STEM education, mentorship, and advocacy, we envision a future where gender equality is not just a goal but a lived reality, where girls' unique talents and perspectives are celebrated and leveraged to drive advancements in STEM and create positive change in every facet of society.
WHY BLACK GIRLS+TECH?
ONLY 25% of computer STEM workers are women.
Black women in tech face a double barrier in education and the industry.
ONLY 9% of STEM workers are Black.
Black women in tech face both sexism and racism in tech. Black girls pursuing tech studies and careers can benefit from a supportive and encouraging atmosphere, mentors, and being surrounded by their peers also studying tech.
Pew Research Center, 2018.