Girly Girls: Let Them Be

Let's stop worrying about if she is a tomboy or a girly girl and focus on letting her be...
confident, genuine, happy and inspired to learn.

It's already starting...

"Mom, is pink a stupid color?" Um, what? That is the question my second grade daughter asked me the other day. So, I asked her why she would think that.  She started explaining that a few girls said pinkish colors were stupid and so was looking all fancy and "girly."  I asked her if she liked those colors and looking fancy sometimes. Without skipping a beat, she said, "Yes! Of course I do." Then my youngest daughter, piped in, "I don't!" We know she likes to wear blue and green, playing outside and get dirty. It's interesting, she's so confident acting more like a "boy" (some would call it). Yet, my older daughter is already questioning her choices in colors and clothes because they are more like a "girl."


At the STEAM Studio, we have been creating a balance, for all types of girls through our different programs. One of the clubs we offer: STEAM Club for Girls, is always favorite, it fills up very quickly. In fact, Kansas City Star wrote a fantastic article about us. My hope and dream is that these girls grow up to enter the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. But, you know why they come? It's the art and designing piece.

Two startling facts: 

• "Looking back to 1984, women represented 37 percent of all computer science graduates, and today, that number is 12 percent. Both of these trends are bad for women and minorities, who are at risk of being left out of the best opportunities, and bad for our economy as a whole. It’s well-documented that diversity of thinking breeds creativity, which we sorely need during this time of change." -U.S. News

• "Government efforts to entice female students into science and engineering courses have failed. Data from UCAS reveals 87 per cent of new computer science undergraduates and 85 per cent of new engineering students are male." - Chris Phillips, Information and Research Director

What's going on? Why is it still difficult to encourage girls to get excited about STEM? Because they need the "A", from STEM to STEAM. Girls enjoy expressing themselves, being social (in many different ways). Many enjoy crafts, building and making things. Yet, often STEM programs are developed and the curriculum is written by men. Perhaps, these men have the best intentions, but do they know what it's like to be a girl?

Technology, science, engineering and math can be scary to both sexes, but rarely do we see companies and developers catering to the needs and wants of girls. Sometimes when companies do come out with a product which could encourage and inspire girls into these areas at a young age, they are slammed. Remember the "Lego Friends" controversy. People were coming from all angles, ridiculing Lego for making it so "pink" and "pretty." SO WHAT? There are many girls who would love to build a pink cafe out of legos and guess what? They can now!  I have one daughter who enjoys the Lego Friends series and my other daughter continues to play with her brother's Star Wars and action heros legos. Does that mean one is right and the other is wrong?

Of course not.

I enjoy dressing up for work. I will wear high heels until my feet give out. Working out is an event I look forward to everyday. Does that make me materialistic? Image conscious?

Of course not.

I buy and wear dresses in feminine colors, because I like them, not trying to make a statement. High heels usually come in fun and unusual styles, which interest me. If I didn't work out I would go crazy. I do it because it allows me to release stress and try to remain as healthy as I can. I'm a girly girl who teaches science and technology courses in higher education. I am a girly girl who geeks out over learning how things work and experimenting. What I wear and what colors I like don't define if I am interested in science, technology, math or engineering. My brain decides that.

When did pink become stupid? When did being a "girly girl" become bad? You know what encourages girls to enter STEM careers? Confidence, motivation, encouragement, hard work and the opportunity to do so, not their favorite color or what they wear.  It's important to offer activities which reach out to all girls, those who want to engage in designing and engineering more crafty products and those who would rather dig in the dirt or learn how to code. Those interests even overlap,so why not offer it all? What is not encouraging is telling a girl she needs to be less girly or less boyish.  Let's not make it a matter of looks or colors, but a matter of brains and what they would like to do with those brains.

I've seen the laughs, the smiles, the risk taking and the determination when working on the projects related to STEAM through the eyes of our future women.  Therefore, I will continue to research, talk with girls and find ways to promote our STEAM programs for them all. I know it's important; as a science and technology educator, as a woman, as a mom, and as a girly girl. 

It's a subject we need to deal with. 

You can bet I will put on my big girl panties and deal with it, 

who cares if they are pink or blue?

May we raise up girls who feel strong. Listen to this beautiful song by the Celtic Women, who sing "You Raise Me Up". 

Sex or Skills: Should You Hire Me Just Because I Am a Female?

What's the right answer?

Yes,  I believe in equal opportunity.

Yes, I am more than grateful for women's rights.

No, I do not want you to hire me just because I am female in a technology career.

What I want you to do is support initiatives which encourage girls to become interested in technology to increase the female applicant pool out there.

Over the weekend USA Today reported about "Testosterone Valley." In the article, Google came under fire because of the disproportionate demographics of it's employees, reporting 83% male and 17% female. The article explains how women and minorities are at a constant disadvantage due to the lack of computer science access and education. Because of this unsettling reality, one has to ask, " should Google (or any other company) hire employees based on their sex and not entirely their skills?"

Honestly, I feel this an unfair headline. We know that scandal sells, so I see why it was front page news. For the record, Google is one of the first tech companies to even report these numbers, so it's apparent that they want to take measures to make some adjustments. But, all in all, this is old news, women have been behind the game when it comes to careers in technology for some time.  While I believe keeping the awareness alive is important, it's more effective to take positive action and promote change.

Here is what I have experienced in my male dominated career and my commitment to STEM/STEAM programs.

• Interest gap: I'm starting with this issue, because the math speaks volumes.  Many girls are not interested in technology. There are reasons for this. I keep reading all these articles which share data about females who view STEM careers as far too masculine and social pressures deter them into other career avenues. Women represent about 24% of the STEM (science, technology engineering and mathematics) workforce (according to the Department of Commerce's Women in STEM.) As far as computer science jobs, women only hold about 27% of the jobs out there, and the number doesn't appear to be growing.  Maybe this is why, male students are 3 times more likely to be interested in STEM majors and careers compared to female students.

• Skills gap:  Despite the fact that girls have been outperforming boys in math and science for some time, there is a discrepancy with girls and their performance in computer science. Even if they take the computer science class in HS, many are still not taking the AP exam. In a recent study, only 20% of females took the computer science AP exam out of 30,000 students.  How can they improve their skills if they do not continue to learn the ever-changing technology curriculum?  Companies cannot hire employees who do not fit the skill qualifications for the job, plain and simple.

• Blame game: Bring about change, not blame. No need to blame Google or the whole male population. Blaming schools doesn't necessarily solve the problem, either.  I hear parents say, "I am so disappointed my school doesn't offer (insert whatever program they want)." Well, then take action! It's the 21st century, folks, there are thousands of resources at our fingertips. Find someone who can start an after school club, seek out funding, create a think tank of people who are interested in developing programs for girls to raise awareness and interest in the areas of technology. Start small and grow big.

• Change is coming: Good news: there are girls out there excited about technology. I think what needs to continually change is offering a wide variety of technology programs for girls. Many schools start with robotics and coding, but for girls who are really 'girly', sometimes that is just not appealing. Having a balance and breaking down stereotypes is key. Making technology programs and clubs diverse enough to the diverse girl population is where it's at! Also having female technology teachers and role models who exert the passion and excitement the digital world can bring, is beyond important. No one wants to listen to a "Charlie Brown" teacher stand up and cover Technology 101, especially not girls.

The technology jobs are there for all. We need to continue moving in the direction of providing opportunities for  girls to see how incredibly interesting our world is through the digital lens.

But, I still don't want you to hire me because I am a female.

I want you to hire me because I am the best person for the job.

If you are a company who really cares about having a gender diverse employee population then back those who are starting and developing programs to encourage our female youth. Open their eyes to see how amazing technology can be now and in their future.

Learning technology should never be this boring!

3D Printing: It's Hammer Time!

Just another day at the office with Dave Dalton, owner of Hammerspace!

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. 

William Butler Yeats

It's exhilarating at times when you get to see how technology is changing to improve our world. One of things I love about what I do is that I get to I venture out into the community and beyond and meet new people who help me learn about new technologies in our digital world. I had the pleasure of hanging out with Dave Dalton, the mastermind behind  Hammerspace today. He completely embodies the whole STEAM initiative through his creative mind and skill friendly approach.

One of the many 3D printers you will see at Hammerspace

Hammerspace Hobby and Community Workshop has been around for about 3 years. It is “a curious space in Brookside where tools and devices of every size are placed for you to use at the exact time they are needed. It’s like a gym for folks who build and create. It’s where you go to exercise your creativity. It’s where you bulk up your knowledge and work out your designs.” You can take a class, become a member, or just pop by and get inspired by what all kinds of people are in there designing and building.

Sound magical? Well it is. 

Think back to school when you wondered, "when am I EVER going to use this ____." Dave shares he uses much of what he learned in many of his classes. He uses trig and geometry daily as he works with spatial awareness and integrates components from the areas of STEAM through projects in this community workspace. He is passionate about the design process and how important it is for all ages to learn how to plan out their creations before just clicking "print". There are many steps before you get to  actually print your 3D object. Dave talks the importance of creating designs collaboratively and how educational it is to actually print multiple parts which all come together to create one product. Manufacturing comes alive and is incredibly exciting when a group of creators work through it all together.

That doesn't mean you can't work alone at Hammerspace and you work with recycled and eco-friendly materials. One creator created this creature below (which resembles an elephant). It was designed and manufactured through 3D printing with the material PLA (poly lactic acid). In our "throw away" society, it is important that we manufacture using biodegradable materials such as PLA which is corn based. It also uses less oil and generates less pollution. Plus, with this type of manufacturing you are only producing what you need, as opposed to mass production: high quantities that create waste. Think about the latest version of an iPhone 5 case, which takes about 6 months to design, make the molding, package and ship out to sit on the shelf for about 3 months. Then usually 1/3 of the cases don't even sell. Money is lost, more garbage to deal with and onto iPhone 6 (which is set to come out this year),where cycle starts again. 

Animal of the Future: 3D printed in this color and with movable parts, all one object (not separate parts).

This all sounds great, but what about real-world application? For example, how is the business world using 3D printing? I talked with David Reid as well today, a Principal at the national award winning Gould Evans architectural firm. He sent this pic to me to give a visual of how 3D printing has an amazing impact on their business. 

Below is an image of an architectural model for the new sanctuary at Church of the Resurrection.  Gould Evans is providing local architectural support to HGA Architects out of Minneapolis.  This is a presentation model they recently generated from a 3D printer – it’s pretty detailed as you can see and includes a removable roof section.

Is this an inside view of the Death Star from Star Wars? No, but it is the future of this world.

David explains that  there are two processes that are useful in the architectural business; 3D printing and laser cutting.  Each has a purpose with different constraints and outcomes.  Because 3D printing lays down layers of plastic, and the quality of plastic varies, careful attention needs to be made to the kinds of shapes one is trying to execute and choose the tools accordingly.  For example, if they are trying to conceptually express the height of a building via articulation of the floor levels, they will opt for a laser cutter as it utilizes bass wood. (If  they attempted this in plastic on a 3D printer, it would have been more delicate and required longer set times to avoid sagging while the plastic was still warm.)

"Don't let the sales gimmickry of 3D printers fool you into thinking you'll save magical amounts of time.  There's a lot of effort required to get the 3D model to a printable form.  But once you do, it's much easier to make modifications from which we can generate alternative design ideas to be evaluated in physical 3D form." 

David Reid, Principal at Gould Evans

Next time you need something or your child asks for a new toy. Think of how you could actually DESIGN, CREATE and BUILD it, and go do it! Head over to Hammerspace and manufacture something YOU can be proud of and then think of way to make it even better. Don't keep filling your pail with useless objects. 

Light a fire and use your mind.

Check out this dad who made his son a prosthetic hand with 3D printing. Unbelievably cool.