By Emma, Minnesota
I am Emma, a sophomore at Washburn High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota and I'm part of Girls Design the World. I initially brushed it off when my art teacher gave me a flyer for the program, but revisited it about a week later and realized it was an experience I really wanted to be a part of. By this time, it was the last day to submit the application—I did so just in time, and I’ve been glad since! I joined this program because I want to be more environmentally conscious; I believe being so will make me a better citizen. I want to leave a small footprint on the earth, but a big impact on the people around me.
In this program we are learning about our impact on the environment as humans, and the consequences resulting from our actions. With what we’ve learned so far, I have already started to inform people of the consequences of their less-than-sustainable ways—what we’re doing to the earth and how we can correct some of our mistakes.
We are using the acronym STEAM to lead our design thinking process. Within STEAM—science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics—I am most passionate about the A: art. I love art because it is abstract and open to interpretation—you can never be wrong. I’m also very interested in science and engineering because I like to figure out how things work, and how I can improve them. Outside of STEAM, I have lots of other hobbies. I love to play soccer, basketball, listen to music, make art, and hang out with my friends. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing in the future, or whether it will be athletic, academic, or artistic… but I do know that the skills and knowledge I collect from this program will help me throughout the rest of my life.