Women have always worked in science. From NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson to chemist Rosalind Franklin, women have been behind some of the most significant scientific advances that our modern world benefits from every day. But Electric Girls founder Flor Serna believes many girls who have an interest and aptitude in STEM don’t see a path into the industry. As a result, far too many girls who are natural-born scientists and engineers don’t pursue those fields. And our whole society misses out on their untapped potential.

Electric Girls aims to change that. The Louisiana-based nonprofit is dedicated to equipping girls with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Electric Girls runs a variety of classes, workshops, and summer camps that provide girls with hands-on experiences to explore their natural gifts, talents, and interests across all sorts of STEM-related projects: soldering, computer programming, robotics, etc.

What makes this approach so effective? A focus on the individual learner. Electric Girls is a great example of how independence and ownership can change the game for future innovators. A celebration of individuality is unlocking new pathways for young girls every day.

“I’m telling you, the things that they come up with, I mean, it’s just genius,” says Bryoni Prentice, program director for Electric Girls. This approach has applications for all subjects in education. How can leaders craft more programs that help students develop and discover their unique gifts and interests, whatever they may be?

Stand Together Trust has supported Electric Girls in their efforts to scale and grow their program to reach more students. For more stories, ideas, and advice from changemakers tackling our biggest challenges, subscribe to Stand Together ► https://www.youtube.com/standtogethercc?sub_confirmation=1

Watch more videos of innovative organizations like Electric Girls ► https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF-0tjFMo6OLFCPUyPYBZKIH-YWLvnj5M

And visit Stand Together’s website to learn more ► https://standtogether.org/

Editor’s Note: At 2:42, we incorrectly spell the name Bryoni Prentis. The correct spelling is Prentice.