The official biography below was current at the time of the award.
See the organization's
website
for its latest information.
The GEMS Camp (Girls interested in Engineering, Mathematics, and Science) is a 501(c)3 based in Dallas, Texas. Our mission is to change the face of those who can access and excel in STEM studies and careers. Long-term, we aim to change the trajectory of poverty girl participants by developing the whole child through five core areas called the 5 Karat Gems - Academics, Career, Creativity, Leadership, and Service.
The GEMS Camp delivers culturally-relevant STEM experiences (e.g., summer camps, STEM institutes, and international travel), for girls of color in grades 7-12, in particular Black and Latina girls from low-income communities. To date, The GEMS Camp has engaged more than 500 girls as a grassroots organization and has been recognized by the Texas Girls Collaborative Project as the 2020 Texas Educational Organization of the Year.
Saki Milton is the founder and Executive Director of the organization. She started the program as a middle school mathematics teacher in 2010, when she observed classroom behaviors of Black and Latina girls which reflected a lack of confidence while participating in mathematics class. Saki set out to change the disparaging statistics facing girls and women of color, who are historically underrepresented and underserved in STEM fields, including in higher education.