Million Girls Moonshot | March Resources
The Indiana Afterschool Network is proud to be part of the Million Girls Moonshot initiative, working to inspire and prepare the next generation of innovators by engaging one million more girls in STEM learning opportunities through OST programs over the next five years. The Million Girls Moonshot is an initiative of the STEM Next Opportunity Fund.

The Million Girls Moonshot seeks to re-imagine who can engineer, who can build, who can make. See below for some information and resources that can help advance this goal!
Everyday Engineering
Coming this March to WFYI and produced in partnership with the Indiana Afterschool Network, elementary-age learners will have new local heroes to look up to with WFYI's Everyday Engineering!

In a series of short videos, they'll meet five Hoosier women whose work in STEM fields gives little engineers insight into the engineering design process. From a behavioral pediatrician to an architectural designer, these STEM pros will help kids explore the process one step at a time and learn more about career paths!

Featured Women in STEM:
  • Dr. Nerissa Bauer, Let’s Talk Kids Health & Axon Health Associates
  • Victoria Graczyk, Graduate Energy Engineer, Schmidt Associates
  • Myrisha Powell, Architectural Designer, Schmidt Associates
  • Poonam Gill, Engineer
  • Dr. Anusuya Das, Patent Agent, Barnes and Thornburg LLP; Adjunct Faculty, Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University
  • Yok Potts, Manager of Financial Transmission Rights Market, MISO Energy
Featured Webinars
Develop Professionally While Supporting Equity
Recorded on March 2, 2021

March 23, 2021 | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST
This webinar is the second in a series of three webinars focused on STEM role models for afterschool networks and programs presented by the National Girls Collaborative and Techbridge Girls. The presenters will provide concrete strategies to effectively incorporate STEM role models into programs for girls and examples of role models in action. Whether you are inviting a role model to visit your afterschool program, organizing a panel of STEM professionals, connecting with a role model virtually, or viewing a role model video, this webinar will describe key components and provide helpful resources to ensure a positive, impactful experience for the participants and the role models.

April 27, 2021 | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST
April 13th, 2021 | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST
In this webinar, participants will explore three strategies for connecting to and preparing role models to work with youth. Strategies will consist of making a connection, talking about your work in age-appropriate ways, and using culturally relevant and youth development practices.
Quality Trainings with PEAR

As an implementation partner for the Million Girls Moonshot Initiative, PEAR is thrilled to offer a three-part training series to all state networks and participating programs at no cost!

We invite network leads, program staff, and coordinators to leverage the free Dimensions of Success (DoS) Program Planning Tool (PPT) during these guided, interactive sessions focused on creating authentic plans to support quality programming and maximize positive outcomes for youth and educators.

March 11, 2021 | 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST
Reflect on areas of SED and STEM that are traditionally strong or challenging for programs nationally and for your program/network specifically. Create a vision and generate goals for strengthening STEM and SED in programming using the DoS framework and tools as a guide. Deadline to Register: March 8th.

March 30, 2021 | 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST
Learn how to use the freely available DoS planning tool and related data collection tools to grow and strengthen programming. Discuss how to sustainably leverage data and planning resources to continue strengthening STEM and SED in your program. Deadline to Register: Friday March 26th.
Best Practices & Professional Development
Best Practices, Resources, and Tools
For Providers and Programs

  • The Afterschool STEM Hub - Includes communication tools related to making the case for STEM afterschool and equity and inclusion. 

  • IF/THEN Collection - Are you trying to inspire others with authentic and relatable images of women in STEM? This is what scientists look like. We're pleased to offer the IF/THEN Collection, a digital asset library of women STEM innovators, for educational and other non-commercial use.


  • This is What a Scientist Looks Like - Posters of IF/THEN Ambassador and nuclear engineer, Dr. Ciara Sivels. This poster can be used in your physical spaces to highlight an inspiring role model in nuclear engineering.

  • Creating Connections with Role Models: The Power of Collaboration - This guide is designed to help recruit and prepare role models to inspire girls in science, technology, and engineering. Techbridge Girls outlines their “recipe for success” for role models and provides tips for training. While this guide has been designed with input from partners in the National Girls Collaborative Project, we encourage you to tailor these suggestions to meet the needs of your role models and the interests of your girls.
Together At Home
Additional Engineering & STEM Resources for Afterschool and Home
  • Design a Space Capsule - This activity amplifies four engineering mindset habits of practice: evaluate and iterate, persist and learn from failure, work in teams, and identify as engineers as students work their engineering journal.

  • Engineer a Stringed Instrument - This activity amplifies three engineering mindset habits of practice: balancing criteria and constraints, applying science and math, and envisioning multiple solutions as students work their engineering journal.
Mizzen By Mott
Mizzen By Mott inspires, engages, and sparks learning in young people. Supported by the Mott Foundation, Mizzen is available at no cost to afterschool professionals! Please be sure to download the Mizzen By Mott app to access the activities below. 

  • Aluminum Boats and the Edmund Fitzgerald
  • Build Your Own Roller Coaster
  • Engineering a Tetrahedron Kite
  • Make It Move 1 -5: Transportation Prototype Design Challenge

Click here to learn more!
Additional Professional Development
Build Upon Your Understanding of Engineering, Equity & Inclusion, and STEM
March 9, 2021 | 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST
For nearly 20 years, the National Girls Collaborative Project has worked to advance the agenda in gender equity by encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM. In this research-to-practice webinar, we will learn about up-to-date research regarding gender equity in STEM and how it impacts girls and women learning and working in STEM. We will also engage in conversation around strategies and resources for continued progress in supporting girls and women in STEM.