Home schooling Kiwi mum-of-five daughters on STEM crusade with Nanogirl

Mum of five Erana Pound has become an ambassador for Nanogirl's Lab. Photo / Supplied.

Whanganui mum of five Erana Pound was never into science when she was at school.

But homeschooling her daughters has led her to a role as an ambassador for Nanogirl's (Michelle Dickinson) Lab, encouraging kids to learn about science through experiments at home.

According to the Ministry for Women, women in New Zealand are under-represented in STEM careers (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), making up just 23 per cent of people employed in IT and 13 per cent of engineers.

Having five daughters of her own, Pound knew the statistics and saw an opportunity to change the way her daughters saw the subjects.

"I was approached by Nanogirl's Lab during the last school holidays. I was definitely inspired by their give back approach and the fact that everything is designed to be creative and not overly technical," Pound says.

"The experiments were also something fun we could do together as a family while learning."

She and husband Josh, a pastor, made the decision to homeschool their daughters in 2017. A year ago their four eldest girls went back to school, and now life is as hectic as ever for the blogger and content creator.

Her ambassador role working alongside Nanogirl's Lab is voluntary and involves letting her followers know about activities coming up and sharing her family's experiences with the experiments.

"I'm just helping them to get their inspiring message about science being for everyone in front of as many families as possible," she says.

Pound says the experiments and programmes create a space for kids to ask questions and learn through "educational play" and inspire creativity.

"Often we have finished the experiments but the girls will carry on playing and learning by themselves."

And if any of her girls are budding scientists, it's 7-year-old Ivy, Pound says.

"She has always been fascinated by the world around her, especially the solar system, and this has been a gateway to learning more about science. In terms of the Nanogirl's Lab experiments, all the kids love the activities and listening/watching the little video
clip beforehand."

Encouraging girls to get into STEM has always been a key goal for Dickinson and for Nanogirl Labs. And Pound says it's important to support kids' interests.

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The girls tried out their first @nanogirllabs experiment today and played around with rocket straws! They made bullseyes to shoot as well as blowing their rockets down the hallway to see who’s could go further. They loved watching Nano girl on the iPad first and then having a go themselves. You can get your own school holiday STEM subscription box for $25 (downloadable) or $40 for a physical box with materials and what I love is that when you purchase one, they donate one to a family going through a tough time. If experiments are up your kids alley, it’s definitely worth a try! I’ll put the link in my bio! #nanogirlslab #ambassador #ad

A post shared by E R A N A 🌷 P O U N D (@thecultureofgrace) on Jul 8, 2020 at 12:55am PDT

"For us, because we have five girls, they're growing up knowing that they can do anything," she says.

"There is no preconceived belief that boys can do stuff that they can't and that's something we really encourage, whether it's science or sport or anything."

The fact that the programme gives back to families in need was another bonus for Pound - when you buy a subscription, Nanogirl's Lab gifts one to a family who might not otherwise be able to access it.

"They also host some online lessons for kids on their Facebook page and Michelle is always sharing inspiring content to encourage kids to think about science."

The experiments were hugely popular during the first nationwide lockdown, and when kids had to return to online learning in the second lockdown.

"Doing the experiments may seem challenging for parents, especially if like me they're not personally interested in science, but it's definitely worth giving it a go and there are Parent Cheat Sheets that are really easy to follow," says Pound.

"It's cheaper than going to the movies or going to the pools and you're actually giving them time to create something and to learn and it's a real family builder.

"It's something that is put together so well, it creates endless opportunities and has everything in one place making it easier for mum or dad to do with their kids.

"You can choose to have a kit delivered to you with all the bits required or you can gather the bits you need for the experiments yourself from what you have around the house."