DIY Girls

DIY Girls' mission is to increase girls' and gender-expansive youth's interest and long-term success in technology, engineering, and making through innovative educational experiences and mentor relationships.

DIY Girls was founded in 2011 to inspire and motivate girls and gender-expansive youth to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and math by Luz Rivas, current Congresswoman representing the 29th District of California. As an engineer and educator, she developed programming in 2012 that she launched at her former elementary school, Telfair Elementary in Pacoima, CA, with a cohort of 32 girls. Congresswoman Rivas developed the first module of the Creative Electronics curriculum, which has been honed and is still used today. Our organization has expanded our programming to include Creative Electronics, Tech & Arts, Invent Girls, and GANAS Alumni Network.

Since 2012, DIY Girls has served 8,037 youth and currently serves nearly 400 youth annually across 19 school sites, working hand-in-hand with students, families, school partners, and other community stakeholders to ensure a growing number have access to STEM programs and activities. The majority of the youth in our programs are girls and gender-expansive youth of color, ages 10-18, and reside in the Northeast San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, including the City of San Fernando. DIY Girls positively influences participants by providing tools to build their technical skills and confidence to pursue STEM as they enter adolescence and start to explore career interests.