STEM and underestimating girls

We generally think of boys as needing to be hands on and out of their seat. They are our builders and tinkerers and if teachers would give them the chance to show their intelligence in a different way, then we would see what they are capable of. This year in my classes, it's the girls leading the charge. They regularly beat the boys in almost all categories when we do any design project. Additionally, it was the girls asking why we don't do more of "this stuff", not the boys. It was a group of girls competing at the regional science fair, it was a pair of girls that had the best wind turbine and was ultimately copied by most others, it was an entrepreneurial girl who sold her design plans to all the male dominated groups for a nice price, and it was two girls who split from their group to create a simpler and more efficient turbine than their former male group mates. Finally, they are proud of what they do. They don't fall victim to the ridiculous idea of "I don't want people to know I am smart." Not content with being the unsung heroes, they want to make sure everyone knows just who is leading the pack.

Proudly displayed front and center.