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Start by matching a program to the learner’s age or grade, location, interests, schedule, budget, and preferred format. Then confirm the current eligibility and application details on the provider’s official page. For concrete starting points, AAUW Tech Trek is aimed at middle-school girls, Girls Who Code lists virtual coding programs for high-school students and offerings for older learners, and NASA STEM Gateway gathers opportunities across several age groups. These options do not all provide the same kind of mentorship: role models and guest speakers are different from an ongoing, matched mentor.
1. Decide what kind of opportunity she wants
Before searching, write down the learner’s grade or age, location, interests, accessibility needs, and available time. Decide whether she is looking for a one-time event, recurring club, camp, coding course, competition, research experience, internship, or an ongoing mentor relationship. “STEAM” can include arts alongside science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but a program may focus on only one subject, so check its activities rather than relying on its label.
Use these criteria to compare options:
- Eligibility: age or grade, location, school status, prerequisites, and any nomination or recommendation requirement.
- Format and schedule: online or in person, dates, meeting frequency, duration, and travel needs.
- Cost and support: tuition or fees, materials, financial aid, and what aid covers.
- Selection and application: how to apply, who can nominate, required materials, and the current deadline.
- Mentorship: whether participants meet role models, hear from guest speakers, or receive recurring one-to-one support.
- Safety and accessibility: accommodations, supervision, and how adults and minors communicate.
2. Search local and national sources
Ask a school STEM teacher or counselor about clubs, competitions, camps, and university outreach. Public libraries, museums, science centers, and nearby universities may also know of local activities. For national starting points, explore AAUW Tech Trek, Girls Who Code programs, and NASA STEM Gateway. These are useful places to begin, not a complete directory of every provider.
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3. Compare specific starting points
| Starting point | Initial fit | What it offers | Check before applying |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAUW Tech Trek | Middle-school girls interested in a summer camp | AAUW describes a one-week camp with hands-on problem solving and women role models. Seventh-grade math and science teachers nominate campers; nominees apply and are selected by a committee. | Whether a local camp is operating, nomination steps, current dates, cost, and financial support. |
| Girls Who Code | High-school students interested in coding, as well as college-age learners and early-career professionals | The provider lists a virtual high-school program for learning coding and creating projects, alongside programs for later stages. | Current program names, eligibility, dates, cost, and enrollment window. |
| NASA STEM Gateway | Students exploring NASA-related STEM activities | A finder for opportunities that include internships, challenges, research, educator development, and pre-college and college experiences. | Each listing’s age or school-stage rules, citizenship or location rules, prerequisites, and deadline. |
| NASA OSTEM internships | Eligible college students and certain educators enrolled as students | NASA’s internship FAQ says applicants must be U.S. citizens, enrolled part- or full-time in college, have a cumulative 3.0 GPA, and be at least 16 at application. | Read the FAQ and the individual posting for current requirements and application dates. These rules apply to OSTEM internships, not to every NASA student activity. |
4. Check what “mentorship” means
A program may offer exposure to women in STEM without providing a continuing mentor. AAUW describes women role models in Tech Trek; that description alone does not establish recurring one-to-one matching. NASA’s article about opportunities for girls highlights the value of seeing women in mission-related roles, but visibility is not the same as an individual mentorship commitment.
#1 Best Overall
- ⭐ GIRLS ENGINEERING KIT & SCIENCE KIT, 100+ PROJECTS : Build 100+ hands-on engineering and science models — gears, levers, circuits and working machines — that turn STEM concepts into real experiments your daughter runs herself.
- ⭐ REAL LEARNING. REAL PERFORMANCE: Develops problem-solving, creativity and scientific thinking. Every project teaches a core science, technology, engineering or math idea by doing, not memorizing — confidence earned, not taught.
- ⭐ SCIENCE KIT FOR KIDS AGE 8-12: Age-right engineering challenges with clear, illustrated step-by-step guides, ideal for elementary and middle-school girls exploring science experiments at home.
- ⭐ SAFE, STURDY & REUSABLE - Made from durable, child-safe materials with no harmful chemicals. Parts rebuild again and again. Designed by IIT engineers with 20+ years in hands-on STEM education.
- ⭐ THE PERFECT BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR GIRLS: A screen-free, educational gift for 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 year old girls. Boxed and ready for birthdays, Christmas and the holidays — made for curious young inventors.
Before enrolling, ask the provider:
- Are mentors assigned, or do participants meet speakers and role models in group settings?
- If matching is offered, is every participant guaranteed a match, and how often do they meet?
- What training and supervision do mentors receive?
- How are communications with minors handled, and can families review the safeguarding policy?
NASA’s article quotes Kris Brown, deputy associate administrator of NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement: “It’s so important for girls to have opportunities to engage with NASA’s missions and to see astronauts, engineers, scientists, and other specialists who look like them,” NASA’s article on bringing women and girls into STEM discusses opportunities and representation.
5. Follow the right application route
- Make a shortlist. Record the opportunity, age or grade fit, format, cost, application route, and official page.
- Read the current listing. Confirm that the program is running and check its deadline, dates, location, eligibility, prerequisites, and support for fees.
- Prepare the required materials. For Tech Trek, begin with the seventh-grade math or science teacher nomination process described by AAUW, then follow the local camp’s application instructions.
- Apply through the provider. Use the official program page for the current cycle’s instructions; program names, dates, and terms can change.
- Confirm practical details. Before committing, check schedule, travel or online access, accessibility arrangements, supervision, and how to contact the organizer.
6. If you are an adult building a local program
AAUW has organizational grant routes for projects serving girls; these are not direct awards to individual students.
Rank #2
- 6 IN 1 STEM KITS: Our stem projects includes 6 colorful, easy-to-assemble projects, including: Fiber Optic Light, Graffiti Robot, Starlight, Music Box, Windmill, and Ferris Wheel. Great for kids to start easy and work up to more complex builds (Battery Not Included)
- Build Confidence & Skills: Each project is accompanied by an independent instruction manual, with its difficulty level clearly marked. Children can choose the project according to their difficulty level, making assembly fun, building confidence, and leaving them eager to try more
- Cultivate Key Skills: Our STEM kits help kids learn essential science concepts—like engineering with ferris wheels and windmill structures, light science through optical fibers and star lights, and mechanics with music box gears and robot movement—while also building hand-eye coordination, color recognition, and focus through hands-on play
- Functional & Useful: Every project in our girls engineering kits becomes a real-life item kids can use and enjoy. The ferris wheel decorates a desk, the music box plays melodies, and the star light glows as a nightlight—so the fun continues long after building
- Friendly for Kids Hand: Sntieecr stem building kits is made of kid-safe KT board. Each building block has smooth, rounded edges. Our building projects also adopt the expected cutting process, children can easily take out the building blocks without sharp tools, ensuring the safety of children
| Grant | Potential fit | Award ceiling stated on the current page | Verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAUW Community Action Grants | Nonprofits or educational institutions creating K–12 girls’ STEM experiences; projects may include mentorship, family engagement, or confidence-building. | Up to $50,000 | Current application cycle and all applicant, project, and reporting terms. |
| AAUW Branch and Affiliate Grants | Eligible AAUW branches and affiliated organizations running hands-on projects. | Up to $10,000 for eligible organizations; Tech Trek camps may apply for up to $5,000. | Current award year, organizational eligibility, geography, and application window. |
The amounts are award ceilings on the current AAUW pages, not guaranteed awards. Review the linked grant page for the applicable cycle before planning around an amount.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- MASSIVE SCIENCE KIT FOR CURIOUS KIDS - More than 15 experiment activities including dueling water tornadoes, building an erupting volcano, growing a crystal, two geologic dig kits, and more!
- ENOUGH TO GO AROUND - This science lab allows kids to conduct multiple experiments and is great to share with family, friends, or classmates. Enjoy the magic of discovery together!
- THE SECRET IS THE SCIENCE - A detailed, full-color Learning Guide teaches the science at work in the experiments, allowing your child to develop a deep, lasting appreciation for a variety of Earth sciences.
- HASSLE-FREE EXPERIMENTS - Clear, easy-to-follow instructions build young scientists' confidence as they experiment, allowing them to focus on the joy of exploration and discovery.
- AMAZON EXCLUSIVE - Blue Marble has developed this product exclusively for Amazon.
Rank #4
- 4 SETS WOODEN STEM KIT: These science kits contain a solar powered car, a solar powered plane, a wind powered car and an electric fan. Each toy is individually packaged. Kids will be proud of building their own models
- FAMILY BONDING TIME: Doing scientific experiments together is a good way for parents and children to build a great family relationship. Complete science projects with your kids as their friend and teacher, that’ll be an unforgettable and precious time
- UNIQUE GIFT IDEA: Our kits designed for kids age 8-12 are cool stuff for a budding inventor, very suitable for elementary students to show their talents in a science fair. Packaged in a beautiful gift box, these assembled electronic gadgets are perfect gifts for boys and girls for birthdays and Christmas
- LEARN BY PLAYING: Fun Projects! Encourage your kids to build their own model kit and enjoy DIY STEM activities. By playing with these electric toy kits, children's curiosity and interest in physics will be stimulated, and they'll know how much fun it is to create a simple model by themselves
- EASY TO ASSEMBLE: Circuit connection is very simple, NO welding, suitable for kids to complete independently. Includes detailed instructions make it much easier and convenient to assemble the models
Rank #3
- 7 PACK STEM Kit: Each pack includes everything kids need to build their own Fiber Optic Lamp: fiber optic, light bulb, screwdriver, instructions, and all necessary assembly parts (AA BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED)
- FIBER OPTIC LAMP PROJECT: Each Lamp gives off colorful light. Build your own working fiber optic lamp that lights up with colorful fiber strands, teaching kids about basic circuits and electronics.
- AGE-APPROPRIATE LEARNING: Designed for kids ages 8-10 8-12, this kit is perfect for developing fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, and an interest in STEM fields.
- EASY-TO-FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS: Each project comes with step-by-step instructions, making it easy for children to assemble on their own or with minimal adult assistance.
- PERFECT GIFT FOR YOUNG INNOVATORS: A great educational gift that combines fun and learning, ideal for birthdays, holidays, or as an engaging educational tool.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
