March is Women’s History Month, and we’re excited to share our favorite STEM education products and initiatives created by truly amazing female engineers, entrepreneurs, and educators!  Each item included in this post celebrates a woman-owned organization that supports young women in their pursuit of STEM careers.

Top Pick: Teknikio

Founded in 2012, Sibel Deren Guler founded Teknikio in order to create gender-neutral STEM kits that inspire all students to explore the world of electronics, wearables, and smart origami! Young women (and anyone, for that matter) will find tons of inspiration and excitement in these products!

What I Love

These kits are creative, whimsical, artistic, and practical. They teach students how to sew with conductive thread to create smart clothing. They empower students to fold and wire electronic origami. Once learners are done with the step-by-step projects, they will feel more than capable to take on bigger DIY projects themselves! The perfect melding of delicate design with real engineering skills!

 Women’s History Month Connection

Shout out to Marija Butkovic, a modern technologist and entrepreneur that founded Women of Wearables to encourage girls to explore the world of wearable tech. Women like Marija and Sibel are helping write the modern history of equitable STEM access for all!

 Who is it for?

Teknikio sells one-off kits that would be perfect gifts for elementary, middle, and even high school female students. They also sell full class-sets, so STEM teachers and makerspace managers can rejoice at the ability to purchase these kits in bulk. Best of all, these kits aren’t just for young women, but for any kid that wants to experience how art and technology can be fused into amazing creations!

Honorable Mention: Firia Labs

Firia Labs, founded by Geri Ewing, is an SBA Certified Woman Owned Small Business that focuses on designing hands-on STEM kits that turn students into true “makers” and “creators”.

What I Love

Firia’s main products include CodeBot (a Python-coded robot), CodeAir (a Python-coded drone), and CodeEx (A Python-coded remote control). Students can program any of the bots for autonomous operation, or program the CodeEx for real-time remote control action! The kits are durable, well thought out, and focus on “demystifying” STEM for young girls and boys alike!

Women’s History Month Connection

Drones and flight have always been exciting STEM fields, so I’d like to shout out Valentina Tereshkova as an awesome connection. Valentina was the first woman to travel to space, in June of 1963!

Who is it for?

I’d like to specifically call out the CodeAir kit as perfect for middle school and high school drone education, especially in the makerspace setting. The drones can be controlled “remotely”, or programmed to fly autonomously, so students can learn about computer science and drone flight simultaneously!

Honorable Mention : Creosity Space

Peg Zokowski founded Creosity Space as a set of project kits to empower K-5 students of all backgrounds to answer the question “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Her goal is to make the inquiry-based world of STEM accessible to all learners, whether they choose a STEM career or not!

What I Love

Creosity creates and sells full makerspace packs, curriculum, and standalone units of material. I especially love the makerspace packs: they include all the materials needed to jump start a makerspace, but also include curriculum and a “book of ideas” for educators to use in order to implement pre-tested projects. It’s great to have support rather than starting from scratch!

Women’s History Month Connection

In the spirit of “invention”, I’d like to highlight Marie Curie, one of history’s most famous tinkerers and inventors. Marie had the true “maker” mentality as she tinkered and researched physics, radioactivity, and x-ray machines. She’s also the first woman to ever win a Nobel prize!

Who is it for?

Looking to start a makerspace in your elementary school that is accessible and exciting for all learners? Then look no further than one of Creosity Space’s kits!

Honorable Mention: Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is focused on empowering girls, women, and non-binary individuals to build foundational skills in computer science, cybersecurity, and AI in order to prepare them for in-demand STEM careers!

What I Love

Girls Who Code has a clear mission and a ton of amazing offerings to make it happen! They offer after school clubs for grades 3-12, college and career programs, summer camps, and more! They teach young women to be fearless and excited about the world of computer science. And here’s an amazing statistic: alumni from Girls Who Code are seven times more likely to major in computer science and related fields.

Women’s History Month Connection

Let’s shout out Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code! Reshma is an author, a speaker, and a driving force behind shrinking the gender-gap in computer science. She’s truly making history with her work and nonprofit organization.

Who is it for?

Young women and non-binary individuals that are interested in learning about computer science in a safe, equitable environment! It’s also a great opportunity to volunteer: women in computer science careers can train to facilitate Girls Who Code workshops!

Honorable Mention: Physics Girl

Physics Girl is a YouTube Channel created by Dianna Cowern that adventures into the physical sciences with experiments, demonstrations, and cool new discoveries. She’s an incredible science communicator and a well-known voice for women in science!

What I Love

Students (and adults) consume online content constantly. We live in a world of influencers. So when you find a brilliant, charismatic, and educational influencer, you want to shout it from the rooftops! Physics Girl hosts a YouTube channel that explores modern technology, research, and even includes AP Physics review!

A Special Note: Get Well Soon!

Dianna Cowern has put her work with “Physics Girl” on hold for the time being, due to recent medical complications. You can still watch her amazing videos on YouTube and leave all the comments and love you’d like. Dianna: You're an inspiration to young women in STEM everywhere, and we wish you the best in your recovery!

Who is it for?

Everyone, truly! I’d suggest showing Physics Girl videos to middle school and high school students, especially young women that are interested in the STEM fields. For additional female social-media influencers, check out these awesome ladies!

●      High Voltage Hustle: Follow Bailey Soto on her journey to convert an old diesel truck into an electric vehicle!

●      Ologies: This podcast with Alie Ward covers amazing researchers and “ologists” in the STEM world!

●      Emily Graslie: A YouTuber that explores the interaction between science and art.

Meet the STEM Editor

Joe Ryan is a Mechanical Engineer, Certified Math and Physics Teacher, Makerspace Educator, and Director of STEM Education at The Reimagined Classroom. He has authored thousands of cutting-edge lessons in disciplines such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and creative problem solving. He strives to bring equitable opportunities to K-12 STEM education through playful emerging technology courses, empowering professional development workshops, and state-of-the-art app development. In his words: “I believe every person has the ability to create something beautiful, helpful, or both: we just need the creative confidence to realize it.”

For this awards series, Joe has been contracted by STEMFinity to test and provide honest feedback on a variety of products.