5 Unexpected Things I’ve Learned from MakerGirl
By ChangeMaker Director, Rhea Thomas
1. Young Doesn’t Mean Inexperienced & Old Doesn’t Mean Irrelevant
Oftentimes people assume that young people can’t bring value - they don’t have experience yet & older generations lack the insights of younger generations. What is overlooked, however, is the value of that gap, the insights and impacts of diverse perspectives. At MakerGirl, every initiative, program, and partnership is a multigenerational collaborative effort; ChangeMakers are constantly encouraged to go back to the target group and relate to the MakerGirls. We ensure that they feel genuinely heard and are excited about what they’re getting out of the program, while still getting the insight and input from some of our more experienced advisors.
At the core of MakerGirl is an environment in which we learn together, emphasizing conversation and collaboration to drive connections across generations. It’s incredibly exciting to see what we can create, the impact we can make when we’re engaging every level of experience, expertise, and enthusiasm.
2. Listening is a powerful tool
Leadership often emphasizes pride, directness, competition and strength, but in the last year, I’ve come to appreciate a different kind of approach: one based on skills like communication, relationship building, and most importantly, listening. Leaders don’t know everything- there’s always an inherent chasm between the employee experience and leadership’s perspective. However, there’s power that comes from accepting that disparity and working towards a willingness to learn more.
One of my favorite examples actually happens every week, at my one-on-one meeting with Mary Hadley, our CEO. As we finish up our meeting, outlining key goals, next steps, and every other metric for success, she’ll always end it by asking, “How can I support you?”
At MakerGirl, an organization that centers around female empowerment, I’ve seen those values in action. One of my favorite examples actually happens every week, at my one-on-one meeting with Mary Hadley, our CEO. As we finish up our meeting, outlining key goals, next steps, and every other metric for success, she’ll always end it by asking, “How can I support you?”
It’s powerful, knowing that the people who lead our organization are just as invested in our success, our needs, and our development as much as we’ve come to be invested in MakerGirl. This culture, however, isn’t limited to just leadership, it’s surged throughout our team. We’ve followed Mary’s examples not only in our work lives, but also in our personal lives. Learning about each other has equipped us to play to our strengths, collaborate through weaknesses, and continue to feel empowered by the difference we’re making not just in sessions, but to each other.
3. Connections Happen When and Where You Least Expect
One of the most fulfilling aspects of leading a MakerGirl session is watching the MakerGirls build meaningful relationships with us and with one another! We emphasize honesty, empathy, and positivity, while being open to listening and learning everything — even if it’s not entirely relevant: keystones to forming genuine connection at any age.
One of my favorite experiences happened in our Level 2: Inventive Minds this summer, where during an end-of-session conversation about purposeful design, we arrived at the topic of spoons. As the MakerGirls led the conversation about the different types of spoons and how they’re used in vastly different ways to eat and make culinary creations, one of our Changemakers pulled up a Wikipedia article. An hour or two later, way beyond the end of our session, we found ourselves simply laughing, talking, and sharing our experiences with food and culture. In fact, we had connected so much that the only way we could end the call was to (politely!) ask the girls to leave.
There has not been a single session in which I haven’t learned something new or shared a laugh with a student. Since joining MakerGirl, I’ve become determined to connect, and build those relationships throughout my life. Silent Uber rides have turned into lively exchanges, and strangers in class have become my friends. Through MakerGirl, I have transformed from an introverted, shy teenager into a spirited learner, and I am incredibly grateful for my ability to converse and connect with almost anyone, anywhere.
4. Energy and Enthusiasm are Contagious
In a world where ‘Zooming’ has become just as ubiquitous as ‘Googling,’ uncertainty and Zoom fatigue are rampant. Students and educators alike are struggling; a screen feels like an impersonal connection… like you’re ‘teaching into the void.’ MakerGirl is not immune to these challenges, but we’ve still had some pretty fulfilling experiences and created powerful memories. Here’s how:
We’re considerate of Zoom fatigue. While we encourage kids to turn on cameras, we don’t mandate it, allowing our students to make their own choice when they feel comfortable. Oftentimes we find that if we do our job right, they’ll turn their cameras on and engage with us all on their own! It’s actually turned into a fun challenge for us, and ChangeMakers often cheer each other on with every camera activated.
We lead by example. It’s hard to get engagement right away, but sometimes playing off of other ChangeMakers or even just thinking out loud can be great ways to spark interest (or sympathy).
We make it personal. One of our favorite techniques in making our pre-set programs feel more personal is by simply engaging the girls. We ask questions about topics the students are interested in and relate their responses to the curriculum, weaving in personal stories and encouraging the students to share their own. One of my favorite stories came from one student who related her love of building pillow forts with her siblings to engineering and her passion for STEM!
We’ve seen sessions that started off with blank screens transform into vivid displays of lively energy.
Looking and feeling excited, while setting an example of energy and enthusiasm feels like, is contagious; we’ve seen sessions that started off with blank screens transform into vivid displays of lively energy.
Over time, we’ve also realized that Zoom has benefits, too. Zoom can often give you a very personal window into people’s lives. We’ve had girls bring their favorite stuffed animals (we’ve gotten quite a few unicorns) and other sources of inspiration to the screen to share with their peers. We’ve even played with backgrounds and filters to get laughs, participation, and to create genuine connections with each other.
With over 880 girls educated in 28 states and 3 additional countries through our virtual sessions alone, we’ve demonstrate the reach that virtual education has, crossing numerous cultural boundaries and several time zones to create a community of girls empowering and inspiring each other, we have proven that connection and education know no bounds.
5. I’m Growing Up
I have to admit something. Although I thoroughly enjoy engaging with the girls at sessions, learning all about the struggles and victories of a new generation, I am becoming more aware of the fact that I’m getting older. In a digital world where niche interests and fast-paced trends outpace our capacity to keep up, I feel more and more like a grown-up every day. This is perhaps the greatest and most unexpected gift from MakerGirl: the audacity to remain a child at heart. With every session I learn new things from our MakerGirls, empathize with their generation- even if I can’t fully comprehend their experiences- and discover connections between my childhood and theirs.
In a digital world where niche interests and fast-paced trends outpace our capacity to keep up, I feel more and more like a grown-up every day.
With every anniversary I celebrate as a Director at MakerGirl, I know that the organization will continue to support my own exploration as I continue to be inspired amongst laughter and connection —embracing my work with the genuine curiosity and love of learning of a child, and surrounded by passionate people with a purpose.
Rhea as a young girl, smiling and looking forward to the bright future she will lead.
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