The kinetic sculptures were supposed to spin gently when the girls turned on their hair dryers. But as soon as the first creation twirled into motion — foil shimmering, ribbons fluttering — the whole room lit up. A crowd of elementary-aged girls leaned in, laughing as their sculptures wobbled, spun or rocketed more wildly than expected.

When Jaimee Diogo launched the New Jersey chapter of STEM Like a Girl in October 2024, she wasn’t simply organizing workshops, she was creating the environment she wished she’d had growing up. 

Now a graduate student in NJIT’s biology of health program and the newly named NJ STEM Pathways Network’s 2025 New Jersey STEM Advocate of the Year, Diogo has already reached nearly 70 girls and their families through hands-on STEM programming. Her mission, she said, is deeply personal.

“I never saw myself as someone who belonged in STEM,” said Diogo. “I assumed science wasn’t for girls, and it wasn’t until college that I felt capable in a STEM setting.” As an undergraduate at Montclair State, a genome-annotation lab unexpectedly shifted her trajectory. “It opened a door I didn’t think I could walk through,” she recalled. “That moment made me want to help girls discover that door much earlier than I did.”

That motivation led her to STEM Like a Girl, a national organization founded in 2018 by Sarah Foster. Diogo discovered it on Instagram and immediately felt New Jersey needed a chapter. She reached out, asked to start one, and with Foster’s support, launched the East Coast’s first chapter. 

Since then, she and her co-leader, Gianna Giacolona, have built a year-round STEM outreach initiative rooted in three core pillars: early involvement, parent engagement, and positive female mentorship. “Girls can’t be what they can’t see,” emphasized Diogo.

Hands-on STEM that sparks discovery

Each workshop follows a signature model that blends quick, curiosity-driven STEM challenges with longer design experiences. At their recent Newark Academy workshop, around a dozen girls and their parents rotated through eight icebreaker stations — building light-up circuit cards, designing paper rockets, creating fossil impressions in clay, lifting fingerprints with graphite, mixing non-Newtonian fluids, and more.

The goal is not just to teach STEM concepts, but to create small, confidence-building wins. “The moments that always stand out are the ‘eureka’ reactions,” described Diogo. “When a design finally works and the girls light up because they solved it, that’s why we do this.”

After the icebreakers, families take on two 45-minute design challenges. This time, they engineered balloon-powered cars for “Let’s Race” and created kinetic foil-and-ribbon sculptures for “Windy Art.” By the end, the balloon car race had turned into one of the day’s highlights. “The girls were so proud to see their creations in action and cheer one another on,” said Diogo.

The workshops also provide opportunities for older students to engage in mentorship. At Newark Academy, three freshmen collaborating on a year-long project to increase women in STEM helped facilitate the activities. “We structured this event so the students could assist and gain outreach experience,” she said. “It’s important that this work builds a larger pipeline of future mentors.”

One differentiator of STEM Like a Girl is the emphasis on parent participation. Diogo believes it’s a critical ingredient in helping girls develop lasting STEM identities. Parent feedback supports that approach: about 90 percent of families report being highly satisfied with the workshops. Many take the time to express their gratitude in person.

“Parents often come up to tell us how meaningful it was to work alongside their daughters,” said Diogo. “Those conversations always stay with me.” The strongest sign of impact, though, is the growing group of girls who return to every workshop. “Seeing the same girls come back each time tells me we’re creating a space where they feel welcomed, excited, and supported.”

Mentorship that makes futures visible

Each workshop features an informal mentor panel where women in STEM share their career journeys. At the recent event, NJIT biology professor Xiaonan Tai, AI marketing professional Christina Alibrandi, and Pfizer’s Elizabeth Chang spoke about trying new things, advocating for oneself, and pushing through challenges.

The format is simple, but the effect is powerful. The girls lead the conversation, asking questions that spark connection. By design, it shows them how varied, creative, and accessible STEM careers can be.

While Diogo’s outreach journey began at Montclair State, she says her graduate experience at NJIT has strengthened her ability to lead these workshops. Many of her courses rely on presentations and collaborative work — skills she uses constantly as a chapter director. “The presentation-based structure of my courses has strengthened my confidence as a workshop leader,” she said.

She credits NJIT faculty, including professors Darshan Desai, Edward Sanchez and Gareth Russell, with fostering an environment where asking questions and exploring new ideas feels natural. “They’ve been incredibly supportive,” said Diogo. “That makes a big difference.”

For Diogo, STEM outreach is not separate from her professional goals, it is foundational to them. She plans to become a pediatrician, a path that perfectly blends her love of science, medicine, and working with children. “I plan to continue STEM outreach alongside my career so more girls can see themselves in fields like mine,” she said.

Launching the STEM Like a Girl NJ chapter was never just about holding workshops. It was about changing narratives, starting with her own. “As someone who didn’t see herself in STEM until college, this mission is deeply personal,” she said. “I want girls in New Jersey to know they belong in these spaces now, not someday.”

And with each balloon-powered race, each clay fossil impression, and each wide-eyed “eureka,” Diogo is showing them exactly that.