GoldieBlox CEO Debbie Sterling hopes her toys inspire more girls to be interested in STEM fields. Via BizJournals.com

Did you know that GSCM has GoldieBlox sets as a part of the new “STEM is Fun” kits? We sat down with Lisa McClure, STEM Specialist for GSCM to learn a bit more about this exciting addition. Check out our conversation below:

What is GoldieBlox?
GoldieBlox is an engineering activity geared specifically for young girls.  The kit comes with several different pieces that help girls to learn about the process of engineering, as well as some specific engineering concepts.  The great thing about this kit is that there’s a story that goes along with the kit so as the leader, adult, dad, etc. reads the book, the girls can follow along and actually build what the main character in the book, Goldie, is building herself!

Was GoldieBlox developed by a woman or woman owned firm?
GoldieBlox was developed by a woman, and a kick-butt woman at that!  Her name is Debbie Sterling and she developed GoldieBlox as a way to get young girls interested and excited in engineering.  She is an engineer herself and truly wanted to change the way that girls played with toys, mainly so that they could explore more things outside of just the “traditional girl toys.”

What are some of the STEM skills girls learn from the GoldieBlox activities?
As I mentioned before, girls first and foremost learn about the process of engineering.  They learn how to change things that don’t work as they expected, they learn how to see the successes through their failures, and they learn how to be creative and imagine new things!  If that’s not enough, the girls also learn some great core concepts of engineering like pulleys and levers, motion, wheels and axels, and levers.  The GoldieBlox sets give a great basic story and then allow the girls to explore their creativity and unique ingenuity on their own.

What age group does GoldieBlox target?
The set targets girls age 4-9, so it’s perfect for our Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies!

How will the Council utilize GoldieBlox—will troops be able to sign them out like a program in a box?
The GoldieBlox sets will be available for our troops to check out as an activity in one of the Engineering sessions of our new “STEM is Fun” kits!  These kits contain 8 sessions of activities–2 sessions based on each of the four areas of STEM–and are available for check-out now.  The kits are a great way to get their girls excited about engineering and are just one of the many great activities within the bin.  The cost of the kit is $10 per girl and it comes with 99% of all of the materials that you’ll need, along with a patch for your girls and some great new interests in STEM!

To check out a bin, leaders must have taken the free STEM is Fun! training. The next training will take place on March 25, 2015 from 5-6pm  at the GSCM Urban Program & Stem Center. Participants in the STEM is Fun! training will learn about the best approaches to help their girls understand science, technology, engineering, and math and will also be able to try out some of the activities themselves. Click here to register.