Frequently Asked Questions

• When does SciGirls air?

  SciGirls airs at different times in different places. To see when SciGirls is on in your area, check our TV Schedule.

• Why SciGirls?

  The ultimate goal of SciGirls is to encourage more girls to consider careers in STEM fields. Girls can contribute in STEM, but many never realize this potential because they lose confidence in their ability to succeed. While boys and girls do not display a significant difference in their abilities in math and science, gender differences consistently appear in their interest, and confidence in these subjects, starting in early adolescence.

  With the growing focus on science and technological literacy, it is important to spark girls' engagement, interest, and confidence in STEM subjects before high school. That's when they make the critical choices that will either open or close doors to post-secondary STEM studies and careers.

  SciGirls is an important early step in this engagement.

• What exactly is STEM?

  STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It is a hot topic in education today, because the fields are expected to be important growth areas for the U.S. economy in the future. In order to meet this demand, more girls must become active in STEM.

• What age group of kids will like SciGirls?

  SciGirls is designed for girls ages 8-12. Children in this age range will find the topics covered on SciGirls—from horses and dolphins to robots and recycling—to be especially compelling. These topics also align to the educational standards for upper elementary and middle school years.

• What about boys?

  While SciGirls was expressly created to encourage girls, the strategies we model will work with other students, including those who are traditionally underrepresented in science. Boys can also benefit from the SciGirls approach to STEM — as collaboration, communication, and open-ended investigation are important for all kids.

• What can I do to encourage my kids in STEM?

  SciGirls has compiled some useful information on the importance of family support for girls in STEM. Please see Tips for Encouraging Girls in Science, Enginneering, Technology and Math to learn more.

• Is it safe for my daughter to be on the SciGirls website?

  Absolutely. The SciGirls site is designed to be completely safe for children. The information we collect for girls' Profiles is non-personal (first name and state only). The information we collect for Projects is checked by SciGirls staff before going live. Girls can contribute images of their projects, but if photos include children, a parental release form is required.