Posted by Communications Staff on 3/20/2023
Women are making gains in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, according to research (as shown here and here). But they’re still underrepresented in relation to male counterparts. That’s one reason why Spokane Public Schools elementary STEM clubs are so important: they get kids – especially girls – to take an early interest in these fields.
“At such a young age, girls can go in a lot of different career paths. If they’re not encouraged to go into STEM, they might go a different direction,” said Nicole Limberg, a second-year medical student at Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine in Spokane and the leader of the Girls in STEM Club at Grant Elementary. “I’m just introducing this idea, having them do hands-on activities and introducing very specific careers to show them they have options.”
Students have continuing opportunities in middle and high school to deeply explore different career paths in STEM through Career and Technical Education programs. But early exposure via library information specialists and STEM-related clubs starts them on their way.
Lela is a fourth grader at Grant who wants to be a scientist when she grows up. That’s why she joined the Girls in STEM Club at her school.
“I like science a lot. I can do actual science like designing stuff in this club,” she said. “One time we built a volcano with baking powder, and it was really fun.”
“Every session is focused on a STEM career and then the girls build something related to it,” said Limberg, who volunteers her time at Grant as part of WSU’s community engagement program.
The club recently read about ecology and how animals adapt to different environments. After a brief lesson, club members built models of animals and compared how they might adapt to different settings.
The hands-on activities pique the interest of Adelaide, a fifth grader at Grant.
“It’s not boring and it helps explain what’s going on and what you’re doing,” she said.
At Moran Prairie Elementary, the Girls Who Code Club is in its first year. Karen Branin, a substitute teacher in Spokane Public Schools and a chemical engineer by trade, leads the group of fourth, fifth and sixth graders. Branin was only exposed to coding in college, and wants kids, particularly girls, to be introduced at an earlier age to spark curiosity about the trade.
Branin uses curriculum developed by Girls Who Code, the national computer science advocacy group. The curriculum is set up for elementary students. Instead of writing traditional HTML code, students learn how to create a digital scene with characters, indoor and outdoor settings, animals and more, while problem solving to figure out how to make their characters do what they want.
One student wanted their character to be in an ocean setting talking to a crab with sunglasses. She found blocks of code that would make her character talk, move to the right within five seconds, and more.
“They’re still at the age where they’re willing to try new things and fail without being embarrassed or wondering what their peers might think,” Branin said.
That’s a lesson fourth grader Alaina took to heart.
“I’ve learned that when you make a mistake, you have to just try again and it’s always OK to ask for help even if you think you don’t need it,” she said, adding that she likes the creativity of coding. “I like how you can kind of make whatever you want. It’s fun to just experiment to see what you’re making.”
Her friend Taylor agrees.
“I like how you get to have your imagination go. You get to make up things that probably wouldn’t happen in real life,” she said.
Coding, being creative and solving problems isn’t something the students knew much about before joining the club. Now, they’re mesmerized.
“We start with an hour, but these girls can code for way past an hour,” Branin said. “When I have to tell them to shut down the computer, they’re all screaming, ‘Just a minute more!’ because they all want to keep going.”
