GoldieBlox -- Reading for STEM

Debbie Sterling is an engineer from Rhode Island who has creatively addressing the dearth of women in her field. She recognized that problem-oriented play is part of what shapes future engineers and scientists, and that previous efforts -- such as selling Lincoln Logs in a pink box -- were not going far enough.

She created GoldieBlox, a toy designed for girls ages 5 to 9 that combines reading with spatial problem solving. She used Kickstarter to get pretty far along in the production process, and is currently taking orders for April shipment.

I learned about GoldieBlox from Eduardo Jackson's article Move Over Barbie. The status of the project and ordering information are at GoldieBlox.com.

Sterling's project reminds me of the Kiss My Math books for somewhat older girls by actress and mathematician Danica McKellar (which I describe on my Not-the-13th-Grade page.)