Check out some of our favorite websites to your interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Websites we like
Alice.org
Alice is designed to make computer programming more accessible and appealing and to “provide the best possible first exposure to programming for students ranging from middle schoolers to college students.” Middle-school girls are one specific group to whom Alice is intended to appeal. The site includes a free download of Alice, plus online forums, demonstration videos, and more.
Braincake
Aimed at middle school girls, this web site promotes math and science by creating an online community where girls can interact with their peers about current science topics, solve science mysteries, and discuss careers with young women scientists and engineers. The site offers chat rooms, games, contests with cash prizes, mentoring programs, scholarship resources, and more.
Engineer Girl
Designed to encourage girls’ and young women’s interest in engineering. The site includes information about what engineers do, great achievements in engineering, career facts, puzzles and games, the opportunity to ask questions of engineers, and links to related sites. Sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering.)
Engineer Your Life
This site describes itself as a “guide to engineering for high school girls”. It includes photos and has videos of young women who are engineers as well as information about what engineering is, why it is important, attractive careers in engineering and how to prepare to become and engineer.
Eploring Gender and Technology
This site presents current research, perspectives, and innovative approaches to the gender gap in technology collected from secondary research.” It offers statistics, case studies, a video, online discussion, an annotated bibliography, and annotated links for educators and for girls.
Eyes to the Future: Middle School Girls Envisioning Science
Information about a project that involves e-mentoring between middle school girls and high school girls who have stayed in science and technology, as well as with women who are professionals in science and technology. The middle school girls also create an online magazine to tell their peers about science and technology.
FIRST:Female Involvement in Real Science & Technology
This site offers highlights of FIRST, an afterschool science program for girls in elementary and middle schools that was hosted by Chabot Space & Science Center and funded by the National Science Foundation. See also Techbridge, below.
Girls@Play
Part of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity’s web site, this section is aimed at girls and offers news about women and girls in sports, information about female athletes [primarily Canadian], opportunities for Canadian girls to get involved in sports, and sections such as “What’s Hot,” “Ask the Experts,” and “Tell Us Your Story.”
Girls Creating Games
The website of an after-school and summer program designed to support middle school girls’ interest in computers and information technology. Though the program itself has ended, the site makes it possible to view the games the girls developed, download tools for teachers [on pair programming, problem solving, game design, tech identity (including lesson plans), and retaining girls], and read about the research findings that came from the program.
GirlsGoTech
Sponsored by the Girl Scouts, this site is designed to encourage girls’ interest in science, math, and technology. It includes interactive information about careers, biographies of accomplished women in science, math, and technology, brief information about HTML and web design, and some online games.
GirlsHealth.gov
Sponsored by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, this site gives girls 10-16 reliable, current information about health, growing up, and issues they may face. Focusing especially on health issues, the site contains sections on body, fitness, nutrition, illness and disability, drugs, alcohol and smoking, mind, relationships, and more. Each topic also offers separate resources for parents and caregivers.
Girls Inc.
A web site designed to inspire girls to be “strong, smart, and bold.” Features include articles about health and lifestyle issues, reading lists, relaxation techniques, a news section, a do-it-yourself section that covers such topics as building a web site, managing your money, and growing a garden, and a lot more.
Girlstart.com: Smart from the Start
The web site title bar describes the site as “Math, Science, Games, and More for Girls Only!” One appealing section offers career information and advice, including profiles of young women role models. Though the site emphasizes science and math, many of the sections include other fields as well. This page is now apparently part of the larger Girlstart organization, which offers after-school programs, Saturday camps, and Summer camps to encourage girls to excel in math, science, and technology.
Girls Tech: Girls, Science, and Technology
Site helps teachers, parents, and youth group leaders evaluate electronic resources such as web sites, CD-ROMs, software, and games that will encourage and increase young women’s interest and participation in the sciences and technology. The site provides evaluation criteria with citations, an explanation of the theory underlying the research, sample sites, and a bibliography.
Girls to the Fourth Power Algebra Program
Imaginative ways to make algebra more appealing to girls. Don’t miss the terrific tongue-in-cheek page, “California-style Algebra Problems.” The site grew out of a pilot algebra tutoring program in 1996 and for the most part has not been updated, but girls continue to post their thoughts on the “Algebra Attitude Page.” The site seems designed to appeal both to girls and to parents and teachers.
Girls With Wings
A website designed to encourage girls’ interest in aviation and related non-traditional fields. The site includes information about role models, girls who like flying, recommended DVDs and books, scholarships, careers, games, newsletters, related sites, and more.
A Girl’s World
A cyber-magazine for girls 7-17, “run for and by girls with the help of caring adults.” Articles, stories, advice columns, quizzes, and contests created by girls around the world. Chat, pen-pals, surveys, and more in 60 interactive areas.
Go Girls Only
Go Girls Only is a website for girls 5-12. Sponsored by the Girl Scouts of the USA, the site offers girls a safe place to play games, take quizzes, ask questions, share stories, and send e-cards to friends and family.
Groovy Girls
Graphically exciting site designed for girls 6-12. Girls can create an onscreen persona with a chosen face, skin tone, and hair style, dress her in funky clothes, chat with other girls from around the world, hang out and decorate their own Mod Pod, invent crazy dance steps, take photos, and more. The site pushes the Groovy Girl line of dolls and accessories but does not sell them on the site. Definitely worth a look.
Hardy Girls Healthy Women
This site provides “resources for growing strong girls & women.” These resources include an annotated bibliography for books, videos, magazines, and curricular material, which can be borrowed from the site; programs designed to create “hardiness zones for girls and women”; relevant events; well-organized, annotated links to related sites; and information about the research of Prof. Lyn Mikel Brown of Colby College.
The History of Women and Science, Health, and Technology: Books for Older Children and Young Adults
Part of the excellent bibliography series from the University of Wisconsin Women’s Studies Librarian’s Office. Partly annotated.)
Imaginary Lines — See Sally Ride Science, below.
I Was Wondering…Women’s Advantures in Science
This site, designed to be appealing to middle-school girls, introduces the girls to women in science and promotes girls’ interest in being scientists themselves. The National Academy of Sciences sponsors the website and also a related series of 10 books about these women scientists. The website, which makes extensive use of Flash, adds games, comics, a timeline, and activities.
Latinitas
Latinitas describes itself as “the webzine for Latina girls.” Actually, it is two webzines: one for Latina teens, the other for pre-teen Latina girls. It includes sections devoted to music reviews, poetry by Latinas, advice, Latinitas traditions, “real life,” profiles of noteworthy Latinas, and more. Much of the content is written by as well as for Latinas. Parts of the site are also available in Spanish.
MaMaMedia
Aimed at kids 12 and under, MaMaMedia offers abundant opportunities for what its designer, Idit Harel, calls “playful learning” using “imagination technology.” Kids can make their own cartoons, games, avatars, designs, e-cards, etc., as well as share jokes and stories, play games, find other interesting sites, create “My MaMaMedia,” and more. Though the site is not designed only for girls, girls make up approximately two-thirds of MaMaMedia participants.
Math Cats
Teacher/mother Wendy Petti has created a wonderfully engaging and visually striking site that brings mathematics to life through math-related art, crafts, games, facts, and more. Math Cats will probably appeal most to elementary and middle school students, though some of its offerings will intrigue people of any age. “Older Cats” (parents and teachers) will find a useful idea bank of math activities and resources, as well as a newsletter. Though Math Cats is not designed specifically for girls, many girls are among its most enthusiastic audience.
New Moon
The online version of New Moon Magazine for Girls offers extensive features (articles, poetry, fiction, mail) from current and back issues, related links, and information about subscribing.
PDK Poster Project: Using Visual Means to Challenge Stereotypes
The PDK Project has two major goals: to promote “awareness and appreciation of science and technology by humanizing the image of research science and scientists” and to support women and girls who choose to pursue careers related to the physical sciences and mathematics. The site’s resources include 36 visually stunning posters; study guides to accompany each poster; videos, interviews, and biographies of the poster participants; links to related sites; and more.
PinkStinks
A UK-based website that aims to combat “the culture of pink” that warps and limits young girls aspirations and sense of self-worth. It does so in part by providing girls with positive female role models in a variety of fields, “real” role models chosen for their skills and achievements.
Sally Ride Science
Founded by former astronaut Sally Ride, Sally Ride Science is an organization whose mission is “to increase the number of girls who are technically literate and who have the foundation they need to go on in science, math, or engineering.” The web site, intended for parents, teachers, and girls, provides information about why such efforts are needed and activities and resources designed to achieve this mission. Among the resources is a handbook for parents entitled Science Can Take Her Places!: Encouraging Your Daughter’s Interest in Science, Math, and Technology.
Shiny Shiny
Describing itself as “a girl’s guide to gadgets,” London-based Shiny Shiny aims to appeal to women and girls who find most geek sites oriented overwhelmingly toward males. Categories include accessories, cameras, celeb gadgets, gadgets, games, grooming, music on the move, phones, product reviews, soft ‘ahem’ furnishings, telly stuff, and things to do online.
SmartGirl
Where girls find what’s hot and what’s not. Reviews by girls of computer games, movies, books, music, magazines, and websites. Chat space. Advice about love. Discussion of issues.
Studio 2B
Developed by the Girl Scouts, Studio 2B is a site for girls 11-17 who often find traditional Girl Scouts unappealing. Created largely by and for girls, Studio 2B offers teen girls a space where they can explore who they want to be and what they want to do. Sections include Life, Style, Next, Escape, Pulse, Lounge, and Boutique, as well as an extensive annotated listing of scholarships and awards. El sitio es disponible también en español.
AP Junior
Part of The Ada Project, TAP Junior is an annotated collection of links containing information and resources designed for and about girls interested in computer science/information technology.
Techbridge: Encouraging Girls in Technology, Science, and Engineering
Techbridge is an NSF-funded program to encourage more girls to become interested in technology, science, and engineering. Its web site offers a description of the program and a variety of useful, well-annotated resources to accomplish Techbridge’s mission.
Teen Voices
Online version of the print publication that offers “an intelligent alternative” to the mainstream media’s image of girls. Artwork, poetry, and articles by teen and young adult women. Readers are encouraged to submit pieces about “self-esteem, racism, sexism, feminism, popular culture, health, and other issues important to them.” Sample features available online from current and back issues.
Whyville
Whyville is an imaginative web site that aims to help elementary, middle, and high school students understand and enjoy science. It differs dramatically from most science education sites in its use of avatars, games, computer simulation and modelling, a Whyville newspaper, and interactivity among Whyville participants. Though Whyville is not designed specifically for girls, girls make up more than 60% of its users, an exceptionally high percentage for a science-and-technology-focused site.
