A flagship initiative of STEM Next, the Million Girls Moonshot set out in 2020 to reimagine who can build, who can engineer, and who can create. The Moonshot quickly became a national force for change—expanding opportunities beyond the classroom for millions of girls and young people to see themselves as engineers and innovators.
The Million Girls Moonshot set an ambitious goal: to foster an engineering mindset in one million more young people, particularly girls, by 2025. We surpassed that goal in just four years, reaching 2.6 million girls—and just as many boys—in all 50 states.
The Moonshot’s tremendous success is our proof point that when we unite partners in a national movement with the right approaches and resources, we can dramatically increase STEM opportunities for millions of kids—enabling them to build skills, confidence, and a clearer path to STEM careers. These approaches were the cornerstones of our success, and continue to inform our strategies through The Institute for a STEM Ready America.
An engineering mindset equips youth with future-ready skills like problem-solving, persistence, and teamwork by encouraging them to explore multiple solutions, learn from failure, and apply math and science in real-world ways.
We convened youth, educators, and industry leaders from across the country to elevate girls’ voices, spotlight career opportunities, and spark new ideas for creating more youth-centered learning environments outside of school.
We trained and supported more than 365,000 educators—building their confidence and capacity to lead high-quality STEM learning in afterschool and summer programs across the country.
“This is more than just numbers; it's a narrative of change, of breaking barriers and envisioning a world where every girl has the opportunity to pursue her dreams in STEM.”
Orietta Verdugo
Tech Philanthropy Leader, Intel Foundation
Afterschool and summer programs connected to the Moonshot didn’t just teach STEM—they ignited interest, built confidence, and helped youth grow in powerful ways:
Educators also saw critical shifts in youth skills and behaviors:
In collaboration with Intel Foundation and the Ohio Afterschool Network, the Million Girls Moonshot powered a series of hands-on summer STEAM camps across Ohio—sparking curiosity and confidence in more than 430 youth across urban and rural communities. Through hands-on activities grounded in design thinking and supported by Intel employee volunteers, youth built problem-solving skills, gained confidence, and discovered the power of STEM to shape their future.
“The activities we did made me feel confident and not give up.” — Qua’zeir, 5th grade participant in Ohio’s Intel Future Skills summer camp
Susan Stanton
Act Now Illinois
From a bold launch during a global pandemic to a nationwide movement reaching millions, each year of the Million Girls Moonshot built on the last—expanding access, deepening impact, and driving innovation in out-of-school STEM. Explore how the Moonshot evolved over four years to reimagine who belongs in STEM and how we inspire the next generation of engineers, makers, and problem-solvers.
March 2020 – March 2021
160,000 girls | 396,800 youth | 20,990 programs | 612 new partners
In the midst of a global pandemic, the Moonshot launched a bold new vision to reimagine who can build, engineer, and invent. State partners quickly adapted to virtual learning and built the foundation for success—embedding the Access to STEM framework into PD offerings, raising awareness of transformative practices, and forming 600+ cross-sector partnerships. This early capacity-building positioned states to deepen STEM engagement in future years.
April 2021 – August 2022
1.35 million girls | 2.63 million youth | 65,000 programs | 1,268 new partners
In Year 2, the Moonshot expanded dramatically—reaching over a million more girls and forming over 1,200 new partnerships. States and programs began shifting STEM practice by integrating transformative strategies into programming, particularly in rural communities. The inaugural Flight Crew launched, amplifying youth voice and leadership in STEM, while professional development and family engagement deepened across the network.
September 2022 – August 2023
570,000 girls | 1.15 million youth | 45,000 programs | 10,743 new surveys and observations, showing measurable gains in confidence, critical thinking, and persistence.
New national partnerships brought free curriculum and training to states. 10,000+ new connections expanded local innovation, and partners increasingly aligned out-of-school STEM with career exploration and workforce needs.
September 2023 – August 2024
620,000 girls | 1.21 million youth | 40,000 programs | 2,073 new partners
In the fourth year, new regional partners and thousands of educators joined the movement—cementing the Moonshot’s role as a national model for expanding STEM opportunity through afterschool. States focused on systems-building and sustainability, launching innovations like Think-Make-Create mobile labs to expand rural access and strengthening connections to workforce pathways.
Moonshot Success Stories and Related Resources
At STEM From Dance, girls don’t just learn about STEM—they bring it…
The data is clear: Year 3 of our Million Girls Moonshot initiative…
The Skill Development Strategies relate to the curriculum and STEM content implemented…
Girl Scouts’ new STEM Playbook is designed for anyone looking to encourage…
Through the Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab, youth engage in hands-on activities to build…
