“I think my parents’ careers in the STEM fields made it so that I always believed that I could also do something in STEM,” Toussaint said.
While she had a love for math, the dance studio was her “home away from home,” she said.
In 2012, she created STEM From Dance, a nonprofit program that integrates dance with STEM education to make these subjects more engaging and accessible.
“When I first started the dance part, I really liked it,” recalled Myrtha Plaisime, 14, a STEM From Dance participant.
CNN“That feeling that they get, we want them to remember that and … remember that they are celebrated for doing things in STEM,” Toussaint said.
Persons:
New York CNN — Yamilée Toussaint, “, ” Toussaint, ”, CNN Hero Yamilée Toussaint —, CNN Hero Yamilée Toussaint — CNN “ It’s, Toussaint, Plaisime, Myrtha Plaisime, ‘, ’ ” Toussaint
Organizations:
New, New York CNN, CNN, CNN Hero Yamilée Toussaint — CNN, MIT
Locations:
New York, Brooklyn