BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Young girls are immersing themselves into the STEM field this week at The Girls Coding Project.
STEM is short for "science, technology, engineering and math."
The Western New York STEM Hub has begun their annual event, inviting young girls ages eight to eighteen to dive into a typically male-dominated field.
"It's a true expression of girl power," Nina Ragland, an instructor, said. "I think you can definitely tell when you enter a room — just the energy, the high levels of engagement."
Girls will be introduced to robotics, coding and 3-D printing designs.
"It gives them exposure to the field and gives them confidence to progress," Charles Arbutina, another instructor, said.
The event is hosted in the M&T Tech Academy at Seneca One, showing girls what a future in STEM could look like for them.
"If they're thinking that coding is being stuck in a drafty room all day, when they come [to Seneca One] they get to walk around and see that coders have nice views and comfy chairs and good lunch," Ragland said.
The girls in the program were clearly passionate about STEM, with math being the favorite school subject of many.
"I like that in our first rotation we did puzzles on the computer because that was fun," Lana Corona, a student, said. "We had to use technology, but we were also doing something fun at the same time."
Students like Aniylah Brown, who is eight-years-old, have big hopes of going into STEM in the future.
"I want to be a doctor because we can help people," Brown said. "Tell people what's right and wrong about them, and give them medicine to heal them."
This enthusiasm about STEM from the girls is undeniable.
"They're so excited, and they're also so genius," Ragland said. "Once we give them this little bit of information, they run away with it."
The Girls Coding Project will continue through the rest of this week.
