Eileen Brewer, Catalyst in Youth STEM, Shares Insights from Her Global Experiences

With years of experience in STEM education, entrepreneurship, and 21st-century job readiness, Eileen Brewer is a trusted and respected voice in the public sector. Eileen’s workshops and speeches worldwide gained her an esteemed position and highlighted the positive global footprint she continuously leaves on the world. Her approach to knowledge-sharing transcends borders and equips the next generations with useful skills and tools they need for career success.  

Passionate about STEM, education, and breaking the status quo, Eileen has over 10 years of experience working with children and young adults across many countries. Her journey began in 2014 when Eileen, representing the US State Department, started taking trips in support of the Tech Women Exchange Program. The program focused on training and STEM-related activities for the youth, and Eileen realized she wanted to pursue this full-time.  

The reason why Eileen has such an unwavering commitment to teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) is because it’s one of the broadest areas of the schooling system, and opens up boundless career paths. For example, science can be used in product development, medicine, and even agriculture. Technology, especially in the 21st century, is connected to most areas of life, enabling students to pursue careers in marketing, videography, construction, and many others. Engineering and mathematics are equally diverse, opening up directions in data analytics, physics and quantum computing.  

Eileen focuses on countries with a limited amount of access to STEM trained professionals. Some of the countries who have hosted Ms Brewer, include Cameroon, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Iraq.  

“Many of the countries that I travel to have minimal access to 21st century teaching methods and STEM focused trainers. The highlight about these workshops is that everyone, from students to teachers, are strikingly attentive,  curious, and open to any opportunity to learn something new,” explains Eileen.  

Eileen focuses on educating children and young adults, usually between 10 and 20 years old. One of the most concerning insights Eileen discovered is the boy-girl dynamics. “When there are boys in the room, girls often feel this peer pressure to distance themselves and not participate. That’s why I do girls-only classes whenever I get the chance,” added Eileen.  

According to Eileen, hands-on experience is the key to teaching young children. That method improves problem-solving skills, and children retain more of what they learn. Eileen’s first hand approach opens many different pathways in the brain, and, compared to typical tests or exams, genuinely encourages kids to learn through active participation and fun activities.  

The transformation Eileen has seen in her students is heartwarming and evokes a sense of hope for the next generations, “At the beginning of the session, students are terrified of motherboards, cables, and technology. But 40 minutes into my lecture, I see a tangible shift in their attitude and authentic excitement in their eyes. My methods show them that STEM is within their reach, and increases their confidence. It’s especially beneficial for young girls who are often not encouraged to pursue STEM. My mission is to show teachers and schools that there is a different way, and it doesn’t mean changing the entire curriculum. Small steps matter, and adding a few hands-on exercises to the syllabus carries more weight than most people think. Imagine a generation of students graduating with dozens of hands-on experiences ready to implement their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. ” This has been Eileen’s main take away as she continues to deliver youth workshops across the globe, reaching over 5,000 students to date.