Closing the Gap: How to Get More Girls Excited About Coding and STEM
July 12, 2026 | MakerKids Team To get more girls excited about coding and STEM, start early, show them real role models, and frame coding as a creative tool for building and solving problems rather than an abstract tech skill. Girls in STEM thrive most in small, supportive, low-pressure spaces where effort is praised over “being a natural.” The gap is about confidence and encouragement, not ability. Why is there a gender gap in STEM? Not because girls are less capable. Research consistently shows girls perform as well as boys in most K-12 STEM subjects. The gap that opens up later is about interest, confidence, and encouragement, and it starts young. The numbers show how wide it gets. Women make up about half of the college-educated workforce but only around 35% of the STEM workforce, and they are most underrepresented in the fastest-growing fields like computing and engineering. The interest gap appears well before any career decision: in a 2023 Gallup survey, 63% of Gen Z girls said they were interested in at least one STEM field, compared with 85% of boys, with the widest gaps in technology and engineering. Closing that gap starts with changing how girls experience STEM early on. Sources: Gallup (2023) , National Girls Collaborative Project How can you get more girls into STEM and coding? The good news: the same things that spark interest also protect confidence over time. These are the approaches that make the biggest difference. The thread running through all of these is belonging. Girls stay excited about STEM when it feels welcoming, creative, and connected to things they care about, not like a competition they were never set up to win. How MakerKids helps girls thrive in STEM MakerKids classes and camps are built on exactly the conditions that keep girls engaged. Groups are small, so every child gets attention and no one gets talked over. Learning is project-based, so kids build their own games, stories, robots, and designs rather than working through drills. And instructors celebrate effort and problem-solving, which is what carries kids through the tricky parts and builds real confidence. Kids explore coding with Scratch and Python, as well as Minecraft, robotics, 3D printing, and Unreal Engine. They are grouped by age from Grades 1 to 8, so the challenge always fits. For kids who feel more comfortable in a calm setting, sensory-safe spaces with noise-cancelling headphones and virtual class options make it easier to focus and take part. Give your daughter a place to build big. Explore MakerKids coding and STEM programs in Leaside , Bloor West Village, and Mississauga → Virtual classes and camps are available too, all summer long. FAQ Why are fewer girls interested in coding and STEM? Not because of ability. Girls perform as well as boys in most K-12 STEM subjects. The gap is driven by confidence, stereotypes, and encouragement, and it starts young, which is why early, positive exposure matters so much. What’s the best age to get girls into coding? As early as possible. Interest and stereotypes form in the early school years, so exposing girls to coding in elementary school helps build confidence before the gap tends to widen. How do you get a girl excited about STEM? Start early, show her real role models, frame coding as creative and purposeful, keep the setting small and supportive, and praise her effort rather than calling it natural talent. Do girls do as well as boys in STEM subjects? Yes. Research shows girls perform as well as boys in most K-12 STEM subjects. The gap that appears later is about interest and confidence, not capability. Are there coding programs designed to support girls? Yes. Small groups, project-based learning, supportive instructors, and creative projects all help girls thrive. MakerKids programs are built around these conditions and welcome kids of all backgrounds. The post Closing the Gap: How to Get More Girls Excited About Coding and STEM appeared first on MakerKids .