Linda Kekelis was a 2025 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awardee for her body of work in the field of informal education, including her role in founding Techbridge Girls. The awards—presented each year by ASTC—honor member institutions and/or their staff and volunteers whose work represents exceptional achievement. These awards celebrate efforts that not only enhance the performance of an individual institution but also advance the entire field of informal science learning and engagement. Read more about the awards here.
Dr. Linda Kekelis is a community builder, a champion of girls and STEM, and the visionary Founder of Techbridge Girls. With equal passion for marginalized communities and research-driven educational programs, Linda charted a course for Techbridge Girls, beginning in partnership with Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, CA. Committed to partnership and inspired by AAUW’s “How Schools Shortchange Girls”, Linda’s collaborative ethic and training as a Ph.D. in special education from the University of California, Berkeley fueled her curiosity about the transformative potential of STEM experiences, particularly for those farthest from opportunity. Centering first in the community of Oakland, CA, her intuitions and research led her to developing programs for those most marginalized from STEM—girls, visually-impaired children, those living with limited means, and later, their families. Her wonderings led to research that became the seed for programs and building blocks which have sustained Techbridge Girls, now in its 25th year .
About Techbridge Girls
Techbridge Girls (TBG) is a national nonprofit on a mission to transform STEM education so that all girls—especially Black, Latina, Indigenous, and gender-expansive youth—can see themselves as leaders, innovators, and change agents in STEM.
Now celebrating 25 years of impact, TBG designs joyful, rigorous, and culturally relevant programs that equip educators and ignite girls’ confidence and brilliance. With a systemic approach that reaches across classrooms, communities, and institutions, Techbridge Girls is not just expanding opportunity—we’re rewriting the STEM narrative for the next 25 years and beyond. TBG is seen as a thought-leader in the field of girls in innovative out-of-school-time programming, a galvanizer of communities leveraging museums and schools together, and a reputable resource for professional development around STEM and identity.
Beyond the Bay: Techbridge Girls Expands
Though TBG began as an initiative in Oakland, California, its impact has expanded nationally. Linda worked tirelessly with her team building, learning, iterating, and partnering with like-minded organizations (AAUW, National Girls Collaborative Project, Bay-Area museums, and Girl Scouts) to initially expand into Silicon Valley with rich and rigorous STEM programming for girls.
Beginning as early as 2008, there were requests to work with Techbridge coming from across the world, further broadening the organization’s footprint. With the help of the Noyce Foundation, TBG expanded to support Girl Scouts of the USA, first in Northern Texas.
Further opportunity came with the assistance of the National Science Foundation in 2013, bringing a presence for TBG into Seattle, across more of the Bay Area, and in Washington, DC, where TBG still has a firm presence today. This grant particularly focused on intersectionality in STEM for Black and Latina girls, ESL learners, and those living in economically distressed communities.
Further opportunity came with the assistance of the National Science Foundation in 2013, bringing a presence for TBG into Seattle, across more of the Bay Area, and in Washington, DC, where TBG still has a firm presence today. This grant particularly focused on intersectionality in STEM for Black and Latina girls, ESL learners, and those living in economically distressed communities.
Engaging Families & Role Models: The Original STEM Influencers
Linda and the team at Techbridge Girls recognized that, for youth, finding a path to STEM careers is significantly aided by both family and a community of mentors and role models who help them visualize their future.
In 2010, with the investment of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation TBG developed Science: It’s a Family Affair, a family science guide distributed nationally. In 2011, Techbridge received the Inclusion Champion Award from Mitsubishi Electric America, the first of many accolades.
“I was especially proud of [our guide, Science: It’s a Family Affair],” reflected Linda. “Persons with disabilities are significantly underrepresented in STEM and with this project, Techbridge addressed this critical need that continues to be under-supported in STEM programming and funding.”
TBG’s other “secret sauce”—in Linda’s words—is leveraging role models. With help from Google, Get Involved. Make a Difference. A Guide for Classroom Visits and Field Trips for K-12 Students was a critical document for both informal and formal science practices. Spanning from 2006 – 2017, TBG was publishing guides, best practices, and strategies like Role Model Strategies. Encouraging Girls to Consider STEM Careers with SciGirls. To this day, TBG trains hundreds of role models annually – from scientists working in the field to educators impacting the perception of STEM – with our Role Models Matter (™) curriculum that emphasizes social justice, culturally responsive practices, and STEM identity.
Today, Techbridge Girls is thriving, having served more than 173,000 youth and 27,000 educators across a 30-state footprint, retaining fidelity to the research, representation, and role models that Linda so carefully curated. As we celebrate our 25th Anniversary, we celebrate how a relationship between a passionate advocate for girls and a science center has a lasting impact both inside and outside the museum’s walls.
