Friday, December 19, 2014

Girl Scouts, Goldiblox, and Girl Power

Something amazing happened recently. I asked one of the sixth graders I tutor to tell me what she was interested in...and what she asked to get for Christmas. 

Her question: Why is everything that is made for girls pink and glittery?

Her answer: I want Goldiblox. What exactly is that, you ask? Watch the videos to find out.

This is your brain on engineering

Inspiring the next generation of female engineers - Debbie Sterling, creator of Goldiblox
We did some research and she not only learned that females across the world tend to make less than their male counterparts in the same position, are more likely to be illiterate and less likely to graduate high school. They also are a lot less likely to become engineers or take jobs in STEM / STEAM fields. 

One way to combat this? Encourage females. Educate males. Challenge gender roles.


Another way to help out? Instead of buying girls play food and dress up clothes, try out Goldiblox. They also have an interactive website to play around with.


Goldiblox website

Next, get girls involved with coding. This year, my students participated in The Hour of Code sponsored by Code.org. 

Watch the video (can you spot the celebrities?)




Finally, consider enrolling your girls in Girl Scouts or join / create a Girls on the Run club.