All About Me
My name is Ava Palazzolo. I am an 18-year-old ambassador Girl Scout. I have been a Girl Scout for 8 years with the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida Council. I am a Silver Award recipient and am now aiming to earn my Gold Award. I have a passion for robotics and aspire to help young girls develop confidence and skills in STEM. Through this project, I hope to empower young minds to explore their potential and pursue their passions in technology.
About My Gold Award
A Girls Guide to Power tools focuses on closing the gap in hands-on engineering education for girls, especially when it comes to power tools. Too often, girls aren’t given the same opportunities as boys to learn these skills, and in some cases, they’re even discouraged from trying. This starts at a young age—walk into any toy store, and you’ll see play kitchens in the girls' section while the boys' section has toy drills and toolsets. Kids grow up learning what’s "acceptable" for them to be interested in, which leads many girls to believe that using tools isn’t for them. By providing hands-on training and making power tools more accessible, my project helps break down these barriers and encourages more girls to get involved in STEM.
While my project is geared toward young girls, it’s for anyone who wants to learn. Just because someone didn’t grow up using tools doesn’t mean they can’t start now. If a woman wants to build a birdhouse or hang a shelf, she should feel confident doing it herself, and my videos are there to help. And while my main goal is to empower girls, there’s nothing stopping boys from learning too—STEM isn’t just for one gender. As Nichelle Nichols said, "Science is not a boy's game, it's not a girl's game. It’s everyone’s game." With my videos on YouTube and my website, I can reach not just local girls through workshops but also people around the world who want to gain these skills.
