Northern Shores Elementary School students Lauryn Breckner and Jordan Shipe drag four gears and a loop across the computer screen and punch a few numbers into their blue laptop.

Minutes later, the girls — who are among 18 members of Northern Shores’ first STEM Club for Girls — watch the robot they programmed scoot across the classroom floor. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, all subjects that education and business experts nationwide say must be targeted for the United States to compete globally.

When Pixel — that’s what Lauryn and Jordan named their LEGO Mindstorms NXT robot — hit a patch of carpet and toppled over, the entire club burst into laughter.

“I don’t usually like science much,” said Breckner, a fourth-grader. “This is fun because we are doing stuff, not just sitting in a classroom taking notes.”

The club is the brainchild of Northern Shores’ gifted resources teacher Nina Valdivieso. It is being funded with a $1,500 grant from Northrop Grumman Corp.

Valdivieso said she was stunned to get 80 applications from girls who wanted to participate in the after-school activity that meets twice monthly from November to March. Ultimately, the principal drew the names of six girls each from third, fourth and fifth grades to make up the club’s membership.

Valdivieso said she started the club to create a positive environment to cultivate girls’ talents in math, science and engineering.

“We want to get them excited about science and math … and help them realize that it’s not so difficult once you try it,” Valdivieso said.

Angel Jones, marketing director at Engineers for Kids, a Chesapeake business that teaches computer and science classes geared to ages 14 and under, agreed. She led Northern Shore’s STEM activity on Monday.

“It’s so important to get girls engaged in STEM programs and ignite a thrill for science in them,” Jones said. “Engineering and technology are traditionally male-dominated industries. We want to level the playing field.”

As the robots bumped into one another on the classroom floor, fourth-grader Lola Ajibade said it is easier to learn without boys in the class.

“I joined to become smarter,” she said. “Without the boys, there is less fighting and nobody is taking over stuff.”

Ajibade makes valid points, said Jones. Boys are more physical and often focus on how to make the robots move faster, she said. On the other hand, girls are better listeners and develop better critical thinking skills.