Quarterly Newsletter | Starting Off 2025 Strong – GenAI Usage and More
In this newsletter:
What is GCTW thinking about GenAI?
How GCTW Kicked Off Our 2025 Internships
Updates on our 2025 Strategic Goals
Intern of the Quarter: Ameisha Hoossain
Thank You and Farewell: Katie Galaska
What is GCTW thinking about GenAI?
We wouldn’t be putting our mission to work if we didn’t take advantage of the best technology tools to not only to advance our mission, but also to empower the next generation of STEM leaders. That's why we’ve been actively incorporating AI into our internal workflows — giving high school and college interns experiences that will prepare them for the expectation of junior-level employees in today’s world and helping our volunteers do more with limited time and resources.
We’re currently using CustomGPTs across three core areas:
Grant Writing: Our interns have built an assistant that helps us identify potential grant opportunities based on our mission, size, and goals. It also supports drafting high-quality proposals with the right tone, structure, and impact language — dramatically speeding up a historically time-consuming process.
Curriculum Development: AI helps us identify gaps in our curriculum and customize existing lessons for new formats and audiences. This means we can more quickly create workshops that are engaging, relevant, and aligned with our educational goals.
Content Development & Ideation: We're using AI to brainstorm and generate fresh social media content that’s not only on-trend but also meaningful to our mission. It helps us connect with our audience more effectively while lightening the load on our communications team.
For our interns, many of whom are just beginning to build their resumes, this is more than just productivity. Our interns are actively helping us brainstorm use cases, build CustomGPTs, and propose ways to integrate the tools into their workflows. We’re proud to be a nonprofit that’s not getting left behind in the AI revolution, and we’re bringing the next generation along for the ride.
How GCTW Kicked Off Our 2025 Internships
GCTW launched its 2025 intern program with a full-day Intern Kickoff Conference, hosted at Insight Global’s Philadelphia office, at the beginning of this year. This gathering brought together the largest cohort in GCTW’s history — spanning the Grant Writing interns, Curriculum Interns, Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations (MCPR) interns, Special Projects Interns, and Chief of Staff team.
We are excited to have 23 interns working with us this year – read more about all of our interns here. Hear from a couple of our interns on how their experience with GCTW has been going so far:
Pia Geismar, Grant Writing Intern | University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Bioengineering and Data Science
“I really love being part of GCTW, it’s such an empowering and inspiring community of like minded girls. As a grant writing intern, I’ve seen firsthand the incredible amount of time and heart that Mina and Sydney put into this mission and it’s truly inspiring. As someone studying engineering in college, I know how much that first experience in STEM can shape your future and I love that GCTW makes STEM feel accessible, fun and welcoming for everyone!”
Iris Li, Curriculum Intern | Delran High School
“My experience with GCTW has been incredibly fulfilling. As a Curriculum Intern, I have had the chance to create and edit STEM lessons that make complex topics fun and accessible. I enjoy being part of such a diverse, passionate group of people that is committed to empowering the next generation in STEM through creativity, collaboration, and mentorship.”
Emily Parker, Chief of Staff and MCPR Intern | University of Southern California (USC), majoring in Biomedical Engineering
“I love being an intern at Girls Code the World because of our shared commitment to making STEM education accessible and empowering for young girls. Working alongside Sydney and Mina, I’m constantly inspired by their genuine passion for the mission. It motivates me to push boundaries in my own engineering journey and reaffirm why representation in STEM matters.”
At our conference, interns developed early cohesion with their teams and outlined expectations for the year. Each unit holds biweekly meetings, contributes to long-term project goals, and will deliver a final presentation summarizing their impact at the end of the internship. Internship responsibilities emphasize four core competencies:
Communication: Proactive updates, clarity in team collaboration, and responsiveness across platforms
Self-Starting: Identifying opportunities and initiating action without needing step-by-step direction
Preparedness: Arriving at meetings with progress made and materials ready
Accountability: Meeting deadlines, delivering on goals, and adjusting timelines with transparency
Updates on our 2025 Strategic Goals
This year, more than ever, Girls Code the World has centered on four strategic goals to guide our fundraising and partnerships. You can learn more about our strategic goals here.
Here are a couple updates on some of these strategic goals:
Goal #1: Clarify and Communicate Brand Identity | Between our MCPR and Partnerships team, we have completed a brand review of GCTW – identifying what helps us stand out and where we could communicate our brand better. Expect to see some changes to our website in the coming months, and let us know if you have any feedback on our messaging.
Goal #3: Launch a Subscription-Based Program | Our Curriculum Interns have been working on transitioning several of our most successful STEM lessons so that they can be delivered remotely through our subscription program. We will be partnering with Penn State University to deepen our content, expand our reach, design pilot programming, and more – we are so excited for this partnership!
Goal #4: Strengthen Organizational Leadership | GCTW is currently focusing on the job description for a Director of Fundraising Strategy, who will ultimately provide critical expertise to support programming access and long-term sustainability. Be on the lookout for applications for this role in the coming month!
Intern of the Quarter: Ameisha Hoossain
One intern who has truly gone above and beyond this quarter is Ameisha Hoossain. From consistently posting engaging Meme Monday content on our Instagram to offering thoughtful, creative ideas for promoting Girls Code the World, Ameisha has been a standout team member. Her initiative, reliability, and unique voice have made a lasting impact on our social media presence and overall outreach.
Read more about our interns here.
Thank You and Farewell: Katie Galaska
We extend our deepest gratitude to Katie Galaska for the incredible impact she has made during her tenure as Director of Finances and Accounting at Girls Code the World. From the very beginning, Katie brought unmatched passion, energy, and vision to our mission of empowering young girls in STEM. Her leadership has been instrumental in expanding our programs and fundraising efforts, building meaningful partnerships, and strengthening our community. Katie’s dedication to creating opportunities for the next generation of women in the STEM field has left a profound and lasting mark on our organization.
Beyond her professional contributions, Katie has been a true source of inspiration and support to everyone on the GCTW team. Her warmth, passion, and unwavering commitment to equity for women in STEM have made Girls Code the World a stronger, more vibrant organization. While we are sad to see her go, we are endlessly grateful for the time, talent, and heart she has shared with us. Thank you, Katie—you will always be a part of the Girls Code the World family.
Stay connected with our journey:
Learn more about our work at www.girlscodetheworld.org
Reach out to our team with ideas or opportunities for collaboration