Some students test the waters in STEM learning at the Fresh Creek Nature Preserve.

More than a dozen middle schoolers with the Green Girls program learned about the city's water quality Thursday in East New York.

Groups tested samples to assess dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphates and more.

This is all in an effort to get girls interested in science, technology, engineering, and math.

"We want to empower young women because a lot of time, young women don't feel free to express themselves and we want to take that gender pressure off them; so really provide that safe space for them to be engaged," said Rowena Kuo, Program Manager for the Green Girls Program.

Green girls is a free program sponsored by the City Parks Foundation which provides free environmental education and leadership opportunities to middle school girls citywide.