Counting Hands: Empowering Young Women in Lancaster Through Tech and Design Thinking

Zero Hands. That's Why We're Here.

LANCASTER, PA — STEM Playbook and the Bright Side Opportunities Center (BSOC) have teamed up on this year’s Sismantle project, a summer program now underway that puts young women at the center of community problem-solving and technology innovation.

During the kickoff session, students spent time watching videos and reading short bios of female CEOs - women who built real companies and now lead organizations and shape their communities, many of whom started out in circumstances similar to the girls in the room.

Then we asked the 15 Lancaster girls a simple question:

"How many of you feel like a leader?"

Not a single hand went up.

It was a striking moment: a room full of bright, capable young women, and not one of them was ready to claim that title for herself. That silence is exactly why the project exists. 

What holds many young women back is almost never lack of ability. It is the belief that someone else is more qualified or more deserving of a leadership title. 

Sismantle challenges that belief directly, partnering with STEM Playbook to build confidence through action.

Using a design thinking framework, scholars are now tackling real challenges in Lancaster, from helping seniors with technology to connecting families with local resources. Along the way, they’re building technical skills, exploring career paths, and learning to work as a team. Each week, the program keeps coming back to one central question: who gets to be a leader?

So far, the answer has been clear: they do.

By the end of this summer, we'll ask that question again. We look forward to their response.