As founder and CEO of 3D Girls, Inc, Raioni Madison’s mission is to expose Black and brown girls to STEAM. 3D Girls, Inc is an Atlanta-based nonprofit that meets at the intersection of social, emotional and educational wellness by providing activities, enrichment and mentorship for girls in underserved communities. The objective is to open their eyes to what a career in STEAM could look like, but also to help them feel safe and secure in the process, by providing opportunities and educational experiences that help to expand their worldview.
“You can’t be what you can’t see, and if you are not able to see someone that looks like you in that field, you don’t believe that you’re able to attain it,” Madison tells AURN. “I’ve heard kids say things like, ‘We’re not supposed to be over here,’ when we’re out exploring new spaces, but we want them to know and believe they’re a part of a community that can be built for them.”
After 12 years of building from the ground up, Madison got 3D Girls, Inc to its current iteration of nine staff members in six schools across the metro Atlanta area, serving 280 girls annually. Some of its components include a four-week summer camp, field trips, college tours and visits with people who share their career experiences and skills.
“Last summer, we had a DJ come and DJ, and that’s what the girls remember. For them, it’s about making music and having fun, but you can also make beats, you can be a sound technician,” says Madison. “We created a curriculum, called, “The Soundtrack to My Life,” and it exposes girls to the social emotional wellness piece of music too, and how it makes you feel good and helps manage your emotions.”
Madison, who began her career as a teacher, learned the benefits of mentorship at a young age after becoming a mother at 18. She was transitioning from high school to college, and credits her village with helping her navigate one of the most difficult experiences in her life, and later on becoming part of her inspiration for 3D Girls, Inc.”
“[As] a teen mom, I had lots of people, mentors and teachers, who really believed in me. They helped to shape me and motivate me to go to college and finish. So with 3D Girls, Inc, there’s always been a focus on that social emotional wellness piece, and being able to create opportunities for girls to be confident in those roles, especially for Black girls,” says Madison. “They’re going to have to deal with some of those adversities and obstacles being the only Black woman in some spaces, and the only woman in other spaces, and that takes a level of resiliency and coping skills that they need to develop. So we figure, if we teach girls coping and resilience skills earlier, they’ll be more confident in themselves and their abilities to pursue whatever it is they want to do whether it be in STEAM or not.”
In addition to the upcoming summer camp, 3D Girls, Inc is busy focusing on weekend activities that bring the girls together every third Saturday of the month, and preparing for college workshops in the fall, holiday toy drives, and more.
“[This work] is God given. I don’t take this vision lightly, I don’t take it for granted. I believe that this is what I’m destined to do,” says Madison. ”I really just follow my heart. I don’t know what will be next for me, but in this season, 3D stands for divine divinity and devoted.”
3D Girls, Inc is always looking for volunteers ready to engage young minds. Email volunteers@3dgirlsinc.org to get involved.
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