How to Get a New Generation of Girls Excited about Space: KidsOutAndAbout Interviews Dr. Mindy Howard of the Cosmic Girls Foundation

In this 7-minute KidsOutAndAbout.com interview, KOAA publisher Debra Ross interviews Dr. Mindy Howard... spaceflight trainer, future commercial astronaut, and founder of the not-for-profit Cosmic Girls Foundation, which is preparing teenage girls worldwide for careers in the space industry. The Foundation empowers girls from 107+ countries with the tools, training, and confidence to thrive in this new space era. They're building a global pipeline of diverse talent for the space economy: coders, engineers, explorers, scientists, and more, with FREE STEM classes, online communities, and the opportunity to potentially go into space training... all completely for free.

The video gives a current overview of the types of opportunities in the space industry that will be available to today's girls, whether they want to be astronauts, scientists, engineers — or just explore what’s possible. It is primarily geared to parents, but it is also inspiring to watch with teens and pre-teens.

Five things parents can do to get girls excited about space

1. Make It Tangible.

Start with hands-on experiences — telescope nights, coding clubs, robotics teams. Girls need to see and feel STEM in action to imagine themselves in it.

2. Tell Her Why It Matters.

Don’t just say “STEM is good for you.” Show how it solves real problems — like how satellites help track climate change or how space tech improves life on Earth.

3. Celebrate Female Role Models.

Expose her to real women doing amazing things in space and STEM — astronauts, engineers, mission controllers. Let her see herself in their stories.

4. Encourage Curiosity, Not Perfection.

STEM isn’t about getting every answer right — it’s about asking bold questions and not being afraid to fail. Praise her curiosity and resilience, not just her grades.

5. Connect Her to Community.

Isolation kills interest. But when girls connect with other girls who share their dreams, they stay motivated. Whether it’s a STEM camp, school club, or online space forums like our Cosmic Girls Forum, community makes the difference.

For lots more information and to get the girls in your orbit started on a journey of STEM discovery and connection, visit cosmicgirls.org.

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