Make it a Summer of Science

There’s still plenty of time to give science a starring role this summer.

There’s a lot of dialogue about the importance of introducing youngsters, especially girls, to the joy of science and technology at a young age. Studies show it makes a difference in their confidence in tackling STEM subjects, which ultimately can affect career choices—as does having women role models and encouragement at home.

The long days of summer are the perfect time to be creative and explore STEM, so I wanted to share some resources to help you do just that with the youngsters in your life.

We all know the value of an empty box to imaginative play. The website Modern Parents Messy Kids helps you take that one step further with instructions for a no-cost, DIY Upcycled Inventor’s Box that helps develop creative problem-solving skills. With a box full of paper towel rolls and other around-the-house items, and prompts like “design a robot to clean your room,” the activity not only encourages out-of-the-box thinking, but will be strong messaging to girls that they can be inventors.

The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the Smithsonian offers a collection of Do Try This at Home activities on its website. The online exercises, such as Tinker Ball, encourage youngsters to be inquisitive and explore: “What happens if I do this?” 

The Exploratorium—the vision of its late founder, renowned physicist Frank Oppenheimer—is a mecca for science education. While it’s physical location is in San Francisco, the museum offers a range of programs to expand its reach, including online Science Snacks—dozens of STEM activities by category for a range of ages to do at home with everyday materials.

To introduce youngsters to coding, the MIT Media Lab runs and monitors Scratch, a platform for creating stories, games, and animations and then, if you choose, sharing them with the Scratch community for feedback. There is a membership option, but it’s not required. Parents will find a comprehensive “For Parents” tab in the footer that explains how the site operates.

And to help address the need for STEM role models for girls, A Mighty Girl has assembled a long list of books that feature women scientists who have left their mark on the world. There’s a wide range of topics, which look incredibly interesting. I admit, I’ve already ordered a few for myself.  

I hope you will use these resources in the coming weeks, and, as always, please share the information with your network. It’s how we will grow our impact.