love participating in science-related activities in Kindergarten and Grade 1, especially when they worked with their hands. Tis involved tasks like cooking, gardening, or making tall structures with blocks and Lego. Tey had no memories of learning about gender norms when engaging in these tasks in school. Tey do, however, remember seeing advertise- ments online and on television that pointed them to certain toys as they grew older. Dolls and kitchen toys became more for girls, and tools, cars and robots became “boy” toys. Since the boys were steered more towards these types of toys, many of the girls began to feel pushed out. Tis was exactly the stereo- type we wanted to break through.


THE LOGISTICS


Trough the Toronto District School Board, we applied for and received a sub- stantial Community-Connected Experien- tial Learning (CCEL) grant for the work we wanted to do with our planned Girls


20 ETFO VOICE | SUMMER 2025


STEAM Team, which subsequently opened several opportunities for us. We invited guest speakers – including women working in the skilled trades – to speak to the group about their experiences and the challenges they faced along their journeys. We col- laborated with the Toronto Public Library to introduce our group to the TPL’s digital innovation hub to learn more about the re- sources that are accessible to them outside of the school environment. We took field trips, including one to Centennial College, to ex- pose the girls to a variety of career options that are available to them in areas of STEM. On top of the experiences we offered,


we ensured that our learning was primarily hands-on. Te grant allowed us to purchase consumables, which led to several tangible projects. Te students created interac- tive identity paintings using Scratch. Tis project helped advance their programming skills while also tapping into their interests and loves.


We also engaged in a shoebox task (see


mini-lesson), which involved repurposing an item that would have been otherwise discarded to create something that has a re- newed purpose. Teir ideas were incredibly innovative and creative. Some girls designed their dream vanities and jewellery cases. One student made a Beyblade game stadium, another designed a draſting table, complete with rulers and drawing tools, and there were a few very cool pencil holders and bookcases designed to fit on their desks at home. One of my favourites was a “burn box” – a prototype of a box where one could toss in pieces of paper with their negative thoughts written on them, and we could watch them burn away out of existence. Although it was not a work- ing model, many of us thought it was a great idea to help with mental health at any age. We also ordered an xTool through Log-


ics Academy that can be used to laser cut and engrave on wood and metal, furthering the idea that women can be good at carpen-


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