Maker Girls

About Maker Girls

Women and girls remain underrepresented in STEM fields of study and in STEM careers. KID is on a mission to change that.

Maker Girls was created to expose more girls and young women to the kind of hands-on, invention-based learning that we know increases interest and confidence in math, design, science, technology, and the engineering process.

The program provides guidance and materials to support facilitators in leading students through KID’s signature Invent the Future Challenge.

Partner organizations receive:

Curriculum to guide students through the Engineering Design Process and help them imagine, design, and build their inventions
Skill-building field trips to KID Museum
Materials for students to use when building prototypes
Digital resources to support skill building and deeper learning
Digital resources for facilitators to share inspiring real-world examples of women in STEM
An opportunity for female-led teams to present their inventions to industry professionals at the Invent the Future Expo

Curriculum and Facilitation

As part of the Maker Girls program, KID Museum has prepared a variety of education and facilitation resources, including documents and explainer videos on a variety of making skills.

For access to curriculum materials, please email info@kid-museum.org.

Visit the Facilitator Resources page

IF/THEN Ambassadors

KID Museum is also proud to partner with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the IF/THEN Ambassadors Program. This program recognizes high-profile women in science, technology, engineering, and math, and showcases their achievements as role models for middle school girls.

Afua Bruce has made a career of using engineering to protect, serve, and improve the world around her. She merges her passion for technology with her social conscience to tackle issues of equity across the world. As Chief Program Officer for DataKind, Afua works to use data to improve financial inclusion, to prevent home fires, and to learn how community health workers can deliver care better.

Learn more about Afua Bruce.

Dr. Cori Lathan is a technology entrepreneur who has invented robots for kids with disabilities, virtual reality technology for the space station, and wearable sensors for training surgeons and soldiers. She is a global thought leader in the relationship between technology and human performance and believes in a future of benevolent cyborgs!

Learn more abou Dr. Cori Lathan.

STEM advocate and Electrical Engineer, Aisha Lawrey, has worked in industry, government, nonprofits, and education. Her focus is on increasing the number of women and minorities in engineering.

Learn more about Aisha Lawrey.

Debbie Sterling is the Founder and CEO of GoldieBlox, the award-winning children’s multimedia company known for disrupting the pink aisle in toy stores globally and challenging gender stereotypes with the world’s first girl engineer character. Debbie is an engineer, entrepreneur, spokesperson and one of the leaders in the movement toward getting girls interested in STEM.

Learn more about Debbie Sterling.

Need a two-minute take on technology, Dr. J’Tia Hart can deliver. Known for impartial assessments and relatable explanations of STEM topics, now she’s turned her attention to serving as a spark to ignite young minds and increase minority participation in STEM.

Learn more abou Dr. J’Tia Hart.

Professor Ana Maria Porras is an internationally-recognized biomedical engineer. Her extensive research ranges from tissue engineering to the gut microbiome, but her passion is combining her loves of engineering, crochet art and science communication. Ana’s work using crocheted microbes to engage the public with science online has been highlighted in magazines.

Learn more about Anna Maria Porras.

We are grateful for the support of IF/THEN© and the inspiration of the IF/THEN ambassadors in the Maker Girls program as we work together to advance women in math, science, engineering, and technology.

You can learn more about the IF/THEN Ambassadors program and see the many inspiring women who are featured at https://www.ifthenshecan.org/ambassadors/.