The scale is beginning to balance in a handful of STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) fields, but there are many careers where women are still vastly in the minority. We can work to break down the stereotypes keeping more girls out of these careers and improve female representation in all workplaces. One of the ways we start is supporting and recommending that students participate in more STEM subjects. Some fun and educational shows might do a lot to pave the way.
Here are ways to encourage girls in STEM with some educational shows built to appeal to girls, and which have more female representation.
Emily’s Wonder Lab – Netflix
Emily Calandrelli is an MIT-trained engineer whose show is aimed at younger children, making fun science experiments that kids can do with their parents at home. Her concept for the show was to help build science appreciation in the whole next generation – both boys and girls alike! Calandrelli also worked with Bill Nye on Netflix’s “Bill Nye Saves the World.”
Xploration Outer Space – Xploration Station
Calandrelli also has another show called Xploration Outer Space, which also has a secondary goal of highlighting BIPOC experts. Xploration Outer Space can be found on
https://www.xplorationstation.com/show/Xploration-Outer-Space
The Brain Scoop – YouTube
The Brain Scoop is a YouTube channel featuring Emily, the “Chief Curiosity Correspondent of The Field Museum in Chicago.” She shares many of the cool and amazing things that are located in the museum. Emily was also a former volunteer of the University of Montana Zoological Museum.
Brainchild - Netflix
From Common Sense Media: Brainchild is a science-inspired educational series that teaches kids about concepts like the senses, neurology, marine biology, and gravity through entertaining visual aids, expert insight, and fun facts. All of the topics are presented at a level that's relatable for kids (especially young tweens), using experiments and creative presentation strategies to reinforce the material.
Common Sense Media reviews it as being appropriate for ages 7 and up.
TED-Ed – YouTube, https://ed.ted.com/
The wonderful thing about TED-Ed is it has great content for EVERYONE, on a variety of subjects that truly boggles the mind. You might find a few interesting topics yourself! The number of highly educated female speakers on TED-Ed is wonderful to see. Highly engineered to be tight and engaging, the TED talks have been popular for years.
Not only is this a great way to introduce more girls to STEM, it’s also great to get in a little extra learning while having fun! Don’t worry – boys will find most of these shows fascinating too.
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