Women in STEM

One of my favorite early coding projects is a game I created about women in STEM—a project that grew into something much bigger and eventually inspired a full Women in STEM initiative. The original goal was simple: to give young girls a fun, interactive way to learn about the groundbreaking women who have shaped science, technology, engineering, and math. I ended up presenting it to a group of elementary school girls, sharing the history of women in STEM, and letting them play the game at the end of the session. It was completely coded by me—a fellow girl, just a few years older than them. 

The game itself prompts players to choose a category: female scientists, doctors, or astronauts. After making a selection, the screen populates with images of women in that field. Clicking on one reveals a short bio about her contributions, followed by a playful round of “Three Lies and a Truth.” This is what made the game so engaging. Each bio ends with four statements—three funny and completely made up, one entirely true. The format was meant to keep the players curious, while helping the real fact stick.

When I presented the game to the fourth graders, it was especially exciting because they had just completed their own Women in STEM projects. Many of them recognized the women featured in the game and were thrilled to shout out the right answers. Their enthusiasm made it clear that the game had achieved what I hoped it would—it made these women feel memorable and exciting, not distant or abstract.

To build the game, I researched and wrote blurbs for 48 different women in STEM. For each one, I crafted a unique set of three silly lies and one meaningful truth. There were scientists like Rosalind Franklin and Marie Curie, astronauts like Peggy Whitson and Valentina Tereshkova, and innovators like Ada Lovelace and Liu Yang. I wanted to showcase a range of disciplines and backgrounds, making sure that girls could see themselves reflected in the stories.

Looking back, I’d love to re-code this game using my current skills. I want to elevate the design, add richer visuals, and make it accessible to more girls The heart of the game will stay the same, though: celebrating women who changed the world, and helping the next generation believe they can do the same.