Girls in STEM Workshops


“This program is fantastic!” — Maria, 17

“Pretty Brainy is such a great program and opportunity. It is so fun and educational and is the highlight of my Saturday.” — Bee, 14

“The Pretty Brainy workshop has increased my interest in computer science. I was never really aware of how coding worked before this class and I hadn’t really done any of it. I like how Pretty Brainy lets us figure out by ourselves how to use the code vs. teaching us step by step.” — Madeleine, 13

“This class has really resparked my interest in technology and programming.” — Esther, 16

“This class has impacted my education and my interest in education in a positive manner.” — Ashley, 12

“I love Pretty Brainy and I really want to come back next year.” — Laprele, 11

“First of all, Pretty Brainy is really fun. I didn’t actually think that it was going to be really fun because I didn’t really like engineering, and my parents want me to be an engineer, and I’m like, ‘No’. But this was actually really fun. I guess I had a misconception about what engineering was. Now I like engineering.” — Anoushka, 12

“It really helps that we can raise our hand to ask a question, even if we don’t know the answer. That helps with the trust that we all have. If someone asks a stupid question or a question that we think is stupid, no one is going to laugh.” — M.J., 14

“It all comes together as one huge amazing productive thing that we all do together. It’s really fun. The end goal is to be able to help our client while gaining knowledge for ourselves.” — Autumn, 13

Testimonials from Adults

Foundations

“Pretty Brainy helps students grow their philanthropic and entrepreneurial spirit by addressing the STEAM education challenges female students face and providing opportunities for those students to break through those barriers. Ultimately, we feel Pretty Brainy will encourage female students to become more immersed and excited about STEAM education, which will provide the foundation and confidence for them to pursue their interests.” — Gary Rogers, former Executive Director, OtterCares Foundation

Teacher-Leaders

“Please know the work your are doing matters. You are building competence and confidence in girls, and most importantly to me, you are building competence and confidence in MY girl.” — Tracey Winey, Allen Distinguished Educator, Preston Middle School

“Math, chemistry, physics, environmental science, sustainability, visual arts, business and economics are intertwined with each step along the creative process in Pretty Brainy’s STEM of Fashion Design program. Students engage in this real world project and practice communication, collaboration, critical thinking. This is a 21st Century Learning goldmine.” — Ian Fogarty, Riverview High School, New Brunswick, Canada; Winner, Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Education

Parents

“I have found it is difficult for girls to visualize a path, whether it be sports, academics or creatively, and finding successful mentors who are willing to share time and expertise can be extremely challenging. Pretty Brainy is exactly what I love to see.” — Michelle Taylor, Colorado

Parents

“Pretty Brainy has brought out a new confidence in our daughter that we had not seen before. Previously, she has participated at length in piano, dance, Odyssey of the Mind and basketball, but this is first activity where she really felt complete ownership of the results. It was also the first one she was truly sad to see end. She asked me to sign up again before it was over!” — Lori Discoe, New Hampshire

School Leaders

“The beauty of Pretty Brainy is that it opens up the world of engineering for girls. It happens in a nonthreatening way. It’s not scary to them to take risks and to problem-solve and make decisions and collaborate with others to develop a product. It’s a learning-centered environment.” — Christine Hendricks, Principal, Tavelli Elementary School

High School Math and Sciences

“These are real skills, life skills that these girls are learning and getting excited about.” — Consuelo Reyes, Alamosa High School

Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences

“Participating in Pretty Brainy has been an AMAZING experience for my Intro to Fashion class! This workshop helped my students see the actual applications of being a fashion designer and taught them how other disciplines fit into fashion. The students were also able to create and produce an actual product. From the beginning of a design to the final product, you can’t get any more real-world than that!” — Shannon Dreessen, Webber Middle School

STEM Enrichment

“What a great way to get girls who are complete strangers engaged in creative thinking that requires problem-solving, communication, and reasoning.” — Hortensia Soto-Johnson, Ph.D., Las Chicas de Matemáticas