'Hidden Figures' Is Already Inspiring More Girls To Go Into STEM

“We’ve already seen that effect happen nationally,” said actor Aldis Hodge.
Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, and Taraji P. Henson accept the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for "Hidden Figures" on Sunday.
Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, and Taraji P. Henson accept the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for "Hidden Figures" on Sunday.
Kevork Djansezian via Getty Images

At a pre-SAG Awards celebration for “Hidden Figures,” actor Aldis Hodge told The Cut that the film seems to have already gotten more young girls interested in pursuing careers in STEM fields.

“We’ve already seen that effect happen nationally,” he said, at a brunch on Sunday. “We’re constantly doing panels for STEM and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Design, and Mathematics) all over.” He also said that he’s currently working on Image of STEM, an initiative that started in the White House during the Obama Administration that seeks to expand STEM education to students of all backgrounds.

Aldis Hodge at the SAG Awards on Sunday.
Aldis Hodge at the SAG Awards on Sunday.
Kevin Mazur via Getty Images

Hodge also worked with the Girls Build LA program to screen “Hidden Figures for 2,000 young women in the Los Angeles area. “I love the fact that a lot of these girls are now getting support for their interest. It’s fantastic,” he said. “I hope that it just keeps going.”

Women ― particularly women of color ― are seriously underrepresented in STEM careers. But Hodge hopes that “Hidden Figures,” which tells the story of three black women who worked for NASA in the 1960s, will help pave the way for a more diverse workplace.

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