I don't think what nicoledad is experiencing is an anomaly. I see it around here too. Some programs for STEM are for both boys and girls, but others are exclusively for girls.

The message is we need more kids (and girls in particular) going into STEM fields. It is the future, everyone will need STEM skills, etc. - you hear it a lot. And when adults keep telling kids, "This is what you should do, this is the future...", many kids tune out. After all, it is like the famous quote:

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years." - Mark Twain