Northrop Grumman connects STEM students & industry leaders

Northrop Grumman and Women In International Security Poland's (WIIS) STEM Mentoring Program celebrated an impressive milestone with its first-in person meeting, which brought together mentees and industry experts.

Aimed at young females in STEM who are interested in pursuing careers in the defense sector, the program offers mentoring and professional development classes, providing mentees with the skills, resources and confidence to succeed.

Connecting STEM students with defense sector experts

Organized in collaboration with leading Polish STEM universities, this first in-person meeting connected ten female STEM students interested in defense sector careers with experts working in the industry.

These experts included Northrop Grumman Director, Chuck Johnson [pictured above], who described the company's purpose, and discussed the importance of diversity.

Providing women with tools for career success

The mentoring program spans 12 months of experience based on individual mentoring, skills-training sessions, study-visits and participation in the Warsaw Security Forum.

The program goal is to provide female participants with the tools and network required to successfully navigate the world of international security and defense, as well as overcome challenges faced by women in industry. The goal will be accomplished by connecting STEM female students and graduates with experienced mentors and role models through a total of 10 hours of individual mentoring sessions.

The program also helps the participants to overcome obstacles and gain the confidence to succeed, through a series of three in-person and online skills training sessions, including public speaking, women leadership, and design thinking. The program concludes with mentees and mentors participating in the Warsaw Security Forum.

One of the leading European security conferences

The Warsaw Security Forum is one of the leading European security conferences devoted to transatlantic cooperation and focused on elaborating shared responses to common challenges, with an emphasis on the security of Central and Eastern Europe.

Organized since 2014, the Warsaw Security Forum gathers annually over 1500 highest representatives of governments, international organizations, industry, think tanks and civil society coming from over 90 countries.

The Warsaw Security Forum traditionally meet for a working breakfast and other formats organized by WIIS, attesting to the importance of gender balance and equality in the international security dialogue.

Advancing women's leadership and gender equality

WIIS is a global organization dedicated to advancing women’s leadership and achieving gender equality in international peace and security.

Committed to achieving gender equality, WIIS publishes research, conducts training, and convenes policy forums that bridge the gap between gender and today’s critical security issues.

WIIS helps the international community to make commitments to include women in peace and security decision-making at all levels. WIIS’ efforts result in new and expanding opportunities for women, with an increased presence in foreign and defense affairs and representation at the highest levels of private and public service.

WIIS provides valuable services and resources to build a global network of women in the peace and security field, and increases the number and visibility of women across sectors and around the world. WIIS also educates and inspires women at all stages of their careers – the multigenerational aspect of its network is one of WIIS’ greatest strengths.