Armed with one mobile unit and the fascinating technology of 3D printing, nonprofit organization MakerGirl is hoping to ignite a love of STEM in girls at a young age.
This unique program began as a project for a business course at the University of Illinois in 2014 by Elizabeth Engele, Julia Haried, and Sophie Li. The women hoped to provide a space for young girls to pair their creative and analytical minds, and see a fun side of STEM. Parents and kids have embraced their learning model and MakerGirl will soon hit the road to bring the program to eight cities in twelve weeks.
Targeted to girls between the ages of seven and 10, participants are able to see first-hand how 3D printing works, while learning about innovative women in STEM from college students currently working to join their ranks.The excitement, however, comes from the opportunity to actually put the teaching to use, and girls are able to do just that with Tinker CAD, a web-based program that helps kids make 3D designs which can then be fabricated using the printers.
MakerGirl works to create a bridge between what the girls are currently interested in — like fashion or sports — with science. Participants might be tasked with designing and creating outfits for a paper doll, or exploring how 3D printing can help make cleats or prosthetics for paralympic athletes.
In an interview with The Daily Illini, freshman and engineering major Kendall Furbee explained, “I think a good thing about MakerGirl is that we don’t just introduce them to STEM, but we encourage them and give them the mentality that they can do it. I think a lot of girls don’t have that kind of support in their households or the environments that they are in, which is something really important to have.”
Interested in attending a MakerGirl session? You can find session information on their website: http://makergirl.us/.