Your Go-To Experiential Gift Giving Guide
Jody Bell
It’s officially here...the season of giving!
For some, this is the time of the year when you joyfully go out and buy all of the gifts you’ve been thinking of for your loved ones. But, if you’re anything like me, this is the season of overthinking all your presents before buying something at the last minute because you couldn’t decide.
That’s exactly why I, and many others, have shifted towards experiential gifts! Not only are they usually more impactful, but they are often more personal, sustainable, and can leave a lasting impression.
We’ve put together some of our favorite experiential gifts for any young woman or child in your life!
1. Girls With Impact
As the nation’s only live, online entrepreneurship program, GWI’s Academy program is an amazing gift for any young woman.
Whether they are looking to create and grow a company, or just improve their professional skills, Girls With Impact is a great leg-up to prepare students for college and/or the professional world. I know we may be biased, but with 93% of our students stating an increase in college readiness, and a 95.5% satisfaction rate, our feedback speaks for itself.
Currently registration is open for our 10 week program which begins January 10th.
2. Girls Who Code
You may have heard of Girls Who Code ‒ the program has over 8,500 programs worldwide and is on an international mission to close the gender gap in the tech field.
Because of the size of the organization, they have multiple different programs, and many of them are free! However, if you’re planning on gift giving, consider their Summer Program, which operates as a 2 week intensive experience or a 6-week self-paced program. Not only will students develop technical skills, but they will have the opportunity to learn about the technical field, network, and join a community of like-minded women.
This program is currently open to women and non-binary high school students, and is delivered entirely online.
3. Latinas in STEM
Founded in 2013 by Latina MIT graduates, Latinas in STEM is on a mission to close representation gaps and inspire young women to pursue STEM fields.
Their K-12 Outreach program offers STEM 101 Online ‒ here students can follow along with videos of STEM projects that can be done in their own homes. These videos are easy to follow, and the necessary material can often be found in your local grocery stores. Additionally, they have College Student Support, which provides scholarships, internships, programs, and general networking to strengthen the pipeline of young Latina women.
Many of their programs' offerings are free, however, with a purchased membership additional opportunities are available and students are able to engage more with the organization and it’s members.
4. Kiwico
Getting a gift for a younger child and looking for a more hands-on and tangible experience? Kiwico’s crates may be a great option!
Kiwico offers monthly crates that are customizable based on interest and age, and each crate is designed to grow problem solving skills with an emphasis on creativity. The crates are designed by diverse teams of professionals ‒ ranging from educators, to engineers, to rocket scientists. There are 9 crates offered based on age, and the youngest offering is for children 0 - 24 month, while the oldest is intended for children ranging from 14-104.
Click here to check out the various crates and to to learn more about Kiwico!
5. Bitsbox
If you like the idea of a monthly subscription based gift, but are looking for something more tech/software based, then you should check out Bitsbox.
Bitsbox allows kids to choose from various different coding projects, and are then sent code to build an app associated with that project. They’re given the resources to build a fully functioning application, and customize it however they want to. This material and activity is presented in a way that is child friendly, but still builds a computational foundation that naturally transitions into applicable coding skills.
These kits are intended for children aged 6-12, but because much of the material is foreign, parental involvement is sometimes necessary. No coding experience for adults is necessary, just an open mind and some time to learn with their kids!
As the season of giving approaches, we hope this guide will help spark some ideas for the developing young women in your life!
Jody Bell, 20 is Girls With Impact’s Editor in Chief and a program graduate from Greenwich High School. Girls With Impact is the nation’s only online, business and leadership program for girls 14-24, turning them into tomorrow’s leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.