Young Women of Toledo Summer Program
Girls Hub is a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) program/activity for girls and young women ages 12 to 17 that offers workspace in trades and construction, through classes in woodworking, architecture, and art.
Meet our Girls Hub Instructors & Task Team
Julia Darrah
Woodworking Instructor
Johanna "Jo" Ross
Art Instructor
Dr. Brenda Holsey
Youth Mentor
Meet our Program Partners
Meet our Girls Hub Mentor Network
Learn about our Fearless Builders + Project
In 2022, with the support from the City of Toledo, Parks and Youth Services our Summer program had over 30 girls and young women known as Builders to be a part of our first pilot of the ' Seat at the Table' project. Our Builders had the opportunity to learn and hone creative and vocational STEAM skills with support from local STEM groups, Mentors, Women in Construction, Manufacturing, Engineering, Arts, and women’s Architects. Integrating Mentor’s technical skills and support, we believe Girls Hub helps equip our Builders with the empowerment and tools to build the space they want to see.
Photographs were taken by J. Bak Studios.
Photographs were taken by Carla Thomas CYTImages
Project Overview:
Your seat is your identity and what you care about. The table is where decisions are made. During each week in the month of June and July, we had a group of girls and young women 'builders' meet in person for hands-on training on how to use bigger power tools, such as the miter saw and band saw, with proper safety and guidance, to create their chair project. We also integrated activities and discussions about female leadership, confidence, STEAM careers, fear, bravery, and how to support each other as girls and women.
Materials + Tools We Used:
A handsaw, wood glue, sanding sponge, hammer, nails, drill, impact driver, screws, plywood, and redwood dimensional lumber.
Why is Girls Hub important?
According to census.gov (2021), Women are nearly half of the United States workforce but only 27% of STEAM workers and 10.3% of construction jobs are held by women.
About Our Workshop Space
Women of Toledo is located on the 3rd Floor of the historic Secor Building in the heart of Downtown Toledo. A former school space for the Horizon Science Academy, we took over the space in 2017. Since then, with the support from the Secor building management, Zaleski Development we have been patching and painting the walls, refinishing the floor, built out four different spaces which include:
Offices for our Women of Toledo staff, interns, fellows, and volunteers to utilize.
A meeting room with a projector, whiteboards, and seats up to 18 people depending on the activity.
A classroom equipped with wheeled tables and chairs. That can seat up to 24 people.
An open 1500-square-foot common space dedicated to woodworking and carpentry area.
What to expect during these programs:
Builders must commit to attending all 5 sessions for the week they register for the program. These sessions are held Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm.
*Subject to change
We will be using a speed square and a tape measure to layout and mark the pieces, a handsaw, and clamps to cut each piece to fit our design, and a drill, a driver, bits, and screws to attach the legs, and seat, back, and braces. Everyone designed their chair with elements that expressed their personalities and stories. Customization included painting, upholstery, mosaics, textiles, and more!
Check out last year's weekly lesson plan & activities:
Team 1
Rosie Riveter (Industrial)
June 6 to June 10
Team 3
Rose Ondrus (Hardware)
June 20 to June 24
Team 2
Emily Roebling (Engineering)
June 13 to June 17
Team 4
Katherine Johnson (Mathematician)
June 27 to July 1
Meet our Fearless Builders
Girls Hub Graduation
@ Imagination Station