STEM Girls Becoming the Norm
Pic: Members of the STEM Girls Club showcasing their programmed LEGO robots.
New York Space Grant has been fortunate to assist in funding and promoting opportunities for well deserved students and groups across the state. We had the opportunity to speak with NYSG Opportunity Grant Recipient, Mrs. Jen Aumer and the STEM Girls of Maryvale Middle School. Mrs. Aumer created this club for girls in Grades 6-8 interested in activities centered around Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Her goal was to create fun and challenging experiments for middle school girls to develop interest in coding, design, and technology of the future to spark a love for learning targeted around STEM.
Can you describe yourself and STEM Girls?
My name is Jennifer Aumer, I am a middle school math teacher, NYS Master Teacher (WNY region), and advisor of the Maryvale Middle School STEM girls club. My STEM girls club consists of Middle School girls in Grades 6-8 interested in activities centered around Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
What was the inspiration for STEM Girls?
We have all seen and heard about the statistics when it comes to girls maintaining an interest in STEM fields as well as the number of women going into STEM-related careers, I wanted to give middle school girls a chance to experiment in a fun way with coding, designing, and things of the future to spark a love for learning targeted around STEM. They may have ended up inspiring me more than I have inspired them!
How long have you lead STEM Girls?
I started the club in 2019 and have been the advisor for the three years the club has been running.
What opportunities does STEM Girls promote and provide for students?
I look for ways to mesh technology with engineering in the activities the girls participate in. I am so very proud of what they have accomplished this year...they constructed and programmed their LEGO Spike Prime creations to dance, twirl, and move, thanks to the generous Opportunity Grant provided by NYSG, as well as, built drones and learned to hover and fly, and have experimented with conductors and insulators with Makey Makey kits.
How much has STEM Girls grown since it began in 2019?
I currently have 35 girls and had about 15 when I started.
Provide a summary of your work and how the NYSG Opportunity Grant strengthened your program.
In 2019, when the STEM girls club was established, my focus was on the design process so I would give the ladies challenges with a list of constraints and criteria. My very first challenge was for the girls to design and build headgear to hold an apple. They had 3 days (of after school time) to build and test their designs and then we went outside for relay races to see how well their designs held up. The New York Space Grant Opportunity Grant was the first grant I applied for and received funding. With this grant, I was able to purchase five LEGO Spike Prime kits and take the girls creativity and coding experience to the next level. Receiving this grant helped me realize that there are opportunities out there to help advance the learning opportunities I am trying to provide. In February, the club set up a station at the Maryvale Middle School's S.P.I.N (a name that has two meanings: Students Play In Night as well as Student Parent Information Night) to allow all classmates to build and learn to code their LEGO creations with the LEGO app. SPIN night gave club members a chance to showcase what they have built as well as their knowledge behind the work they have done. In April 2022, selected ladies from the club presented at a Maker Faire where they were able to showcase and teach others about the coding that they have been using with the LEGO Spike Prime Kits and demonstrate their flying and hovering capabilities with their drones. This opportunity grant has helped the girls of my club apply their coding and engineering skills at a higher level, but has also opened up opportunities for them to have a voice and to teach others about the skills they have learned and share what they are doing.