At Sawyer we have the privilege of working with hundreds of inspiring educators around the country. Whether they teach virtual classes or in-person activities, the curricula always foster enriching atmospheres for children of all ages to discover their love of learning. We got the opportunity to chat with Boolean Girl, a DC-based nonprofit with a mission to improve diversity in STEM by teaching girls in grades 3-8 how to code, build, invent, and animate in online and in-person classes.

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us! I’d love to hear a bit more about you and why you started your business.

Boolean Girl is a passion project, a nonprofit with a mission to improve diversity in STEM. We do this by teaching girls in grades 3-8 how to code, build, invent, and animate.  

Can you describe an inspiring moment you’ve had as an educator?

I’m inspired by the girls that keep coming back to our events to do more. I especially love it when a girl outgrows the program but returns to teach others as a counselor in one of our camps.

Photo of Boolean Girl

What’s the most rewarding thing about teaching children?

Seeing the lightbulb come on as they build something of their own design. We are big believers in creative learning so our camps and classes inspire girls to come up with ideas that are meaningful to them and bring them to life. When they get their creation working, it is not unusual to hear them yell out. That scream of success is so rewarding!

What’s one time a child surprised you and made your day? 

This summer, one of our high school-aged instructors, who had been coming to our camps since 4th grade, asked if we would help her set up an event at a local elementary school. The school has a high number of students for whom English is a second language. She wanted to run an event in Spanish for kids who “look like her.” I was thrilled to help her. Not only are we doing the event but we are giving the students micro:bit kits as part of our micro:bit for all program where we donate kits to schools. What an uplifting moment!

On a similar note, what’s the funniest thing a child has done in your class? 

Other than breaking into handstands or acting out the cats they coded in their Scratch program, the most memorable thing that made me smile in class was when a student coded a long intricate adventure story that the other students loved so much, they asked her to play it again. Praise from a teacher is great, but positive feedback from your peers is priceless!

Photo of coding classes for kids

Why is after school and extracurricular enrichment so important for children?

We believe that enrichment opportunities beyond the regular school day add an important dimension to learning, whether through introducing children to activities and ideas not available in school or by demonstrating that learning is not just something you do at school.

How do you think children can discover their passions when they’re not in school or your programs?

One of our goals is to get kids coding on their own. Nothing makes me happier than to hear “she has been working on projects at home” from a parent. We do several things to encourage this. All the tools we use in class are available for free so it is easy to go home and keep coding. After every event, everyone gets to take their projects home to show their parents and to keep building. And, we have free online, self-paced courses and projects to inspire kids to keep creating. 

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