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
Starting last March via WFYI and produced in partnership with the Indiana Afterschool Network, elementary-age learners now 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
Recycled Plant Paper - student activity sheet with theI’m a Kid…Does Climate Change Affect Me? video featuring IF/THEN Ambassador and climate scientist Kimberly Miner. This is one of many activity sheets and accompanying videos that can be found on theIF/THEN Collection. These activity sheets and videos are designed to be plug and play for programs.
Together At Home
Additional Engineering & STEM Resources for Afterschool and Home
Student Activity: Toxic Popcorn Design Challenge - This lesson introduces youth to the engineering design process as youth work in teams to design both a product and process to safely remove “toxic” popcorn and save the city.
Student Activity: Engineering a Flotation Device - Youth use the engineering design process to design a device that uses simple chemical reactions to create a floatable device for a cell phone.
Group Activity: Team Building for STEM Challenges - In this team building activity, youth work together to lift an object by using a set of strings attached to a center ring. Each student grabs a few strings and must work together to raise the item in the center. The task requires concentration and communication and introduces the value of teamwork.
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
Build Upon Your Understanding of Engineering, Equity & Inclusion, and STEM
Recorded Webinar: From Research to Practice: An Up-To-Date Look at Gender Equity in STEM - In this research-to-practice webinar, participants learn about new research regarding gender equity in STEM and how it impacts girls and women learning and working in STEM. Participants engage in conversation around strategies and resources for continued progress in supporting girls and women in STEM.
