PRESS CONTACT:
Jenn Bane
(312) 883-3337
1917 N. Elston Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642
jenn@cardsagainsthumanity.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cards Against Humanity Forms Full-Ride Scholarship for Women Seeking Degrees in Science
CHICAGO, IL -
Cards Against Humanity announced today that it has formed a full-ride scholarship for women seeking undergraduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, called the Cards Against Humanity Science Ambassador Scholarship.
The scholarship will be funded by sales of Cards Against Humanity’s new “Science Pack,” co-authored with Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal’s Zach Weinersmith and Bad Astronomy’s Phil Plait. The pack was released this morning, and is available for $10 at CardsAgainstHumanity.com.
Similar charitable packs released by Cards Against Humanity have raised nearly $2 million for non-profits like the Wikimedia Foundation, the Sunlight Foundation, and DonorsChoose.org, where Cards Against Humanity has funded over 12,500 teacher projects in high-poverty classrooms across the United States.
“Everyone at Cards Against Humanity was fortunate enough to receive a great college education that helped us find a job that we’re passionate about, and our goal with this scholarship is to make that opportunity available to others,” said Cards Against Humanity community manager Jenn Bane. “Several of the co-creators of Cards Against Humanity earned degrees in science, whereas I got a degree in journalism. Now look at where I am. Writing this press release for them.”
Cards Against Humanity co-creator Josh Dillon, who will defend his thesis on astrophysics at MIT next month, said, “Women are underrepresented in science, tech, engineering, and math, and we felt like the funding from this pack could have the greatest impact by making it possible for more women to get an education in those fields, and by giving them a platform to share their work and their passion for science.”
Science Ambassador Scholarship board member Veronica Berns, PhD. said, “We desperately need diversity in science because the alternative makes no sense. So often girls are told in both overt and subtle ways that they aren't able to be good at math and science. With this scholarship, I'm excited to get to tell a passionate girl out there, ‘Yes! What you are doing and dreaming is really great, and here's some help to get you where you want to go.’”
Scholarship applications will be reviewed by a board of over forty women who hold higher degrees and work professionally in science, including representatives from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, the Smithsonian Institution, the Adler Planetarium, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as TED, NSF, Huxley, and Hubble fellows.
“I think it would have been really inspiring to hear about more modern female scientists when I was in high school. That's why the outreach portion of the scholarship is an important factor; we aren't looking for just anybody who is interested in STEM. We are looking for a smart kid who is bursting at the seams with passion for the thing that they love. Someone who gets so much joy from their studies that they just have to tell everyone about it,” Dr. Berns added.
Science Pack co-author Zach Weinersmith, who recently raised over $300,000 on Kickstarter for “Augie and the Green Knight,” a picture book about girls who are smart, scientific, and risk-taking, said, “I want more women in STEM fields. Why? Because I am selfish. I want all of my technology to be faster, smaller, and stronger, and I want other people to go through the effort to make that happen. As long as women are underrepresented in science and technology, my next iProduct will be slightly lower quality. By funding a female student to become a scientist and a science ambassador, I hope to get just a little bit of my incredibly lazy wish.”
Applications will be opened to the public for the fall 2016 school year. Applicants must be U.S. residents in high school or college, and must identify as women in a way that’s significant to them. Recipients of the Cards Against Humanity Science Ambassador Scholarship will receive full tuition coverage for up to four years. Students can sign up to be notified when applications are open at ScienceAmbassadorScholarship.org.
“Cards Against Humanity has a wide reach online, and we’re anticipating a huge volume of applications,” said Bane. “Our hope is that this scholarship makes a tremendous impact in someone’s life, and creates more visibility for women working in science.”
For press inquires, please contact jenn@cardsagainsthumanity.com.