What STEM Educators Can Learn from the Webinar

1. Entrepreneurship Builds Confidence and Creativity

NGCP’s panelists emphasized that entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting businesses—it’s about fostering critical life skills like problem-solving, resilience, and communication. For girls in STEM, this means learning to embrace challenges and view failures as stepping stones to success.

Key Insight: Girls are often more risk-averse, but with the right support, they can learn to approach problems with curiosity and confidence. Programs like VentureLab’s STEAM curriculum use design thinking and prototyping to help students tackle real-world challenges.

2. Representation Matters

Connecting students with female mentors and entrepreneurs is a powerful way to inspire them. VentureLab shared how role models like their founder, Dr. Crystal Gennai, motivate girls to envision themselves in STEM careers. From pitching nanotechnology solutions to mentoring students, these stories demonstrate what’s possible.

Key Insight: Girls need to see women leading in STEM to believe they can do it too. Guest speakers or mentorship programs can make these aspirations tangible.

3. Practical Resources to Get Started

The webinar highlighted several free and low-cost tools for teachers:

• Young Entrepreneur Institute’s Yippi Platform: Offers classroom-ready lesson plans, project ideas, and professional development for teaching entrepreneurship.
• VentureLab’s Free Games and Activities: Introduce concepts like brainstorming and iterative problem-solving through fun, hands-on activities.
• The Startup Squad Book Series: Combines fiction with practical business tips to engage students in entrepreneurial thinking.

Key Insight: Resources that integrate STEM and entrepreneurship are accessible and ready for immediate use in classrooms or after-school programs.

Actionable Strategies for Teachers

Here are a few great ideas to bring the webinar’s lessons to life in your classroom:

1. Design Thinking Challenges: Incorporate STEM projects that require students to empathize, brainstorm solutions, and create prototypes. For example, ask students to solve a community problem using engineering concepts.
2. STEM Pitch Competitions: Host a competition where students present their innovative ideas to peers or a panel. This develops public speaking and critical thinking skills.
3. Create Real-World Connections: Invite female STEM entrepreneurs to speak to your students. Encourage them to share their journeys, struggles, and triumphs.
4. Celebrate Small Wins: Reinforce growth mindsets by framing failures as learning opportunities and recognizing perseverance.
5. Explore NGCP Resources: Access NGCP’s extensive library of exemplary practices, webinars, podcasts and tools to enhance your teaching strategies.

Empowering Educators, Empowering Girls 🚀

At Activate Learning, we believe in equipping teachers with innovative tools to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders. Combining NGCP’s mission with our own inquiry-based curriculum creates classrooms where every student, especially girls, feels empowered to explore, innovate, and lead.

As NGCP’s webinar demonstrated, a mix of mentorship, representation, and hands-on opportunities can make a profound impact on students’ confidence and STEM identity. Whether through a simple design challenge or a full-scale pitch competition, educators have the power to transform how girls see themselves—and the exciting possibilities that await them!

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