Volunteers Unite To Create STEM Educational Kits For Girls In Need
As innovators look to new ways to empower girls through STEM, one city unites to give STEM boxes to girls in need.
STEM teachings have wildly grown in popularity over the last decade or so, but there is still much more opportunity to grow the field, especially among girls. STEM, standing for science, technology, engineering, and math, has shown a growing need for laborers in the sectors occupations, and female innovators in the field have been ramping up efforts to get young females involved. In one city, volunteers united this past weekend to create STEM kits for girls in need.
Volunteers filled boxes this past weekend inside a gym with hands-on activities centering around STEM careers. The boxes are interactive think outside the box kits with different supplies, journals, and books. The kits are being handed out to girls aged six to ten in the city in regards to the virtual STEM event currently underway.
As part of the Girls & Science efforts at Girls Inc, the event is now in its eighth year of operation in Denver. As part of the initiative, families who subscribed to the free program were given “thINC Outside the Box” activity kits delivered right to their doorsteps. The virtual event started on February 24 and runs through March 26th.
There has been a big push across the nation to initiate STEM programs in education resources not only in schools but through extra-curricular programs as well. But even with significant advancements in educating and promoting STEM activities, women still only hold about a quarter of all STEM-related jobs in the United States. But with the right tools and resources, STEM efforts in young girls could have a huge impact on the future of the workforce.
Studies show that it’s estimated about four in ten girls don’t get enough practical experience with STEM projects. Furthermore, research suggests that girls begin to lose interest in STEM fields during middle school, so bolstering any aptitude for the field at an early age is crucial. A recent Girl Scouts of America study similarly found that high school girls with an interest in the STEM field had more career support from parents, family, teachers, and friends. However, another study cited a lack of female role models in STEM as a key reason girls often don’t follow a career path in the sector.
Tanji Watts, a former Girls Inc. member, and a current volunteer told local news that influential women in her life all have had some part in STEM. According to reports, STEM careers tend to be viewed as masculine careers, therefore teachers and guardians often undermine young females’ math and science abilities at a very young age. In order to combat this notion, there are plenty of groups bolstering STEM girl efforts across the nation.
Popular initiatives, like NASA’s Girls in StEM program, look to strengthen relationships with organizations that support STEM goals. The Girls in Stem event is designed to inspire middle school students with an interest in the field. Girlstart similarly harnesses innovative nationally-recognized STEM education programs that encourage them to engage in the field. As more programs across the nation continue to engage young girls in STEM fields, the efforts continue to have an impact on empowering young females.
