International Day of Women and Girls in Science is Thursday, February 11th!

In 2015 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare February 11th as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This effort to help break down barriers in STEM fields for women is focused on empowering young girls as they accesses information and pursue opportunities within the sciences.

According to UNESCO, as of 2016 only around 30% of all female students select STEM-related fields in higher education, and as of 2021 less than 30% of researchers worldwide are women. Let’s change that!

Learn about the significant impact and vital role of women in science, and help further gender equality worldwide by supporting our girls in their exploration of STEM topics with the videos and resources below.

Getting Girls into STEM

Tips for Encouraging Girls in STEM

Grades PreK-3
SciGirls believes that families are partners in helping girls to pursue STEM studies. This list contains strategies and practical tips to help you encourage your girl to be STEMsational!

How to Raise Strong Girls

Grades PreK-5
When girls get the message that they have the ability to work through difficulty and learn new things, they stop giving up and start finding their way through their struggles. Try, “I’m working on this.” to help your daughter remember that learning takes time.

SciGirls Collection ⎪ PBS LearningMedia

Grades 5-8
The SciGirls are changing how millions of girls think about STEM! In this multimedia collection, the SciGirls incorporate technology into fashion, gather scientific data on turtles, explore the field of ecology, and much more. And be sure to check out a variety of Role Model Profiles from the shows’ female mentors offering girls a glimpse of exciting STEM career possibilities!

Women in Science

Amelia Earhart Reader | Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum

Grades 1-2
Teach your little learners about Amelia Earhart with this printable 2-page biosketch from Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum! And there’s more in the support materials, like sentence starter and fill-in-the-fact worksheets too.

Marie Curie | Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum

Grades 1-2
Learn about award winning scientist Marie Curie with this video clip, printable biosketch reader, and support materials from Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum.

Fly Girls: Women in Aerospace | STEM in 30

Grades 4-8
From the time the airplane first took to the air, women have played an important role in shaping the aerospace industry. Join STEM in 30 and Anousheh Ansari, the first female private space explorer, as we take a look at the contributions of early women aviators, female astronauts and other pioneering women.

Women in Tech: Video Game Development

Grades 5-12
In this video from SciTech Now, learn how groups of young women are helping to break the stigma of the video game development field being male-oriented. Girl Develop It (GDI) is a national non-profit organization trying to change that disparity by providing education and opportunities to women in local chapters around the country.

Women of Science at the New York State Museum

Grades 6-12
Check out the New York State Museum Women of Science program series. You can virtually meet Museum scientists, learn about their research through filmed presentations, and e-mail questions for the scientists to answer themselves! Video topics include Underwater Archaeology, Preserving Geologic History and Records, and more! If you have a question you would like to ask one of the expert women scientists, send them an email at NYSMPP@nysed.gov! 

Women in STEM | The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers

Grades 6-12
Encourage girls to explore a career in aerospace, mechanical engineering, climate science, molecular biology, astronomy and more with this collection of video interviews from NOVA’s The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers.

Women in STEM: Prejudice and Progress | Decoding Watson

Grades 6-12
Examine Rosalind Franklin’s legacy as a pioneering woman in STEM and the prejudices she faced in these videos from the American Masters film Decoding Watson. Biologists and historians of science examine the prejudices Franklin faced, how the climate in biological research has shifted, and how some prejudices persist.