How Being Terrified of Code Helped Me Get Girls to Love It
summary
Claim that girls leave STEM three times is backed by concrete numbers: only 27% vs 44% of girls versus boys plan STEM electives and roughly a third of girls versus three quarters of boys show interest in engineering, with just 18% of young women picturing a STEM career versus 46% of men. Interventions used are hands‑on robotics (rovers with grippers), pumps/sensors extension boards, Minecraft/3D printing challenges, girls‑only workshops and near‑peer mentoring, plus low‑stakes failure demonstrations such as an Excel meal‑prep spreadsheet that actually works. Results: repeat attendance and measurable confidence gains.
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chapters (8)
- 0:00Personal coding anxiety
- 3:38Safe STEM environments
- 8:11Building confidence early
- 14:05Tech in girls' interests
- 18:56Confidence versus ability
- 23:50Chilly STEM climate
- 26:39Lifting each other up
- 27:20Q&A: Robotics workshops
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