To help get young girls interested in STEM fields, a nonprofit startup out of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is expanding.
Founded in 2014, MakerGirl is a nonprofit startup based at UIUC that hosts 3D printing and STEM classes for girls ages 7 to 10 that are taught by college STEM students.
When MakerGirl first launched, it was just offering 3D printing courses, but now its expanded to offering coding and robotics classes as well, according to Mary Hadley, the startup's curriculum director.
In 2016, MakerGirl raised more than $32,000 in a Kickstarter campaign and has used the funds to expand. Last spring, MakerGirl established a partnership with Northwestern University, where it now has three STEM students teaching 3D printing classes.
In addition to Northwestern, MakerGirl is solidifying a partnership at DePaul University, where the startup is currently trying to find and recruit DePaul STEM students.
“We’re a little different than some other organizations doing similar work because we really focus on 3D printing,” Hadley said. “A lot of organizations today focus on coding, and while that’s great and amazing, we wanted to do [3D printing] so girls can experience something else if coding isn’t for them.”
Every 3D printing course MakerGirl hosts has a different theme, Hadley said. One theme was centered around careers, where girls were asked to build something that could help them in their chosen profession. For example, a participant that wanted to be an artist 3D-printed a paintbrush, and another who wanted to be an engineer printed a ruler.
During the academic school year, MakerGirl has sessions twice a month, or a minimum of six sessions each semester. At UIUC specifically, MakerGirl currently has 15 STEM students who teach classes. About 12 to 15 girls attend each one. The classes cost $20 for participants right now, but Hadley said MakerGirl wants to eventually make them all free.
MakerGirl doesn’t just offer classes in the Chicago area, though. Last summer, the startup raised more than $15,000 in a second Kickstarter campaign to offer their courses around six states throughout the Midwest. The startup offered 30 classes at community colleges, maker spaces and libraries, reaching more than 500 girls, Hadley said.
“Young girls need to have a safe space when they’re learning about STEM, so they are not afraid to fail,” Hadley said. “They feel more like active participants and are more willing to ask questions when they feel like they’re in a space that lets them be creative, analytical and where they don’t have to worry about anyone judging them.”
