Little girls today have the potential to become the math whizzes, science geniuses and coding ninjas of tomorrow. So why is it that by middle school, girls lose interest in STEM subjects at double the rate of boys? Little Ms. Crate claims that it’s because early childhood learning doesn’t traditionally approach technical training in a way that’s engaging to girls. To right this wrong, the company is offering an eponymous monthly crate subscription that delivers career inspiration right to the doors of future girl bosses of the world!
Little Ms. Crate is the brain child of Reid Craig, a former software VP and father-to-be who dreamed of living in a world where his future daughter could occupy any profession she wanted if only she had unlimited exposure to the full breadth of what the world offered. He decided not to simply tell his daughter she could do whatever she dreamed, but to show her by creating a monthly schedule whereby he could introduce her to a new career and its women role models every month. Six months after his daughter was born, he launched Little Ms. Crate.
You can think of Little Ms. Crate like career day in a box! To start, sign up for a crate subscription (upon availability). Each month, a crate will arrive right to your door filled with educational toys, games, props and costumes that encourage girls, aged five to ten years old, to not only to learn about the many possible professions, but to act out a day in the life of those jobs. Every month features a different career, with particular emphasis on STEM fields, leadership and management. Profiles of real-life women in the field — from scientists to Supreme Court justices to CEOs — are included to humanize the tech profession and inspire your little one to believe that she too can follow in the footsteps of visionaries.
What does Little Ms. Crate offer that traditional education about STEM fields may be missing? Craig collaborated with childhood education experts and parents to devise a system of educational play that actually takes gender learning differences into account. To that end, Little Ms. Crate’s offering of hands-on interaction, role-play and real world immersion may give girls a more effective introduction to technical professions than encouraging them to commit to and begin training for a particular career early in life. Little Ms. Crate plants the idea of pursuing a STEM profession even in girls who may not have recognized their passion otherwise. As they open the crate — and open up a world of new possibilities — they will gain the confidence, experience and know-how to make those dreams come true in the future.
Little Ms. Crate was recently funded on Kickstarter, so visit their website today to learn about your next opportunity to sign up for the subscription.
Do you think Little Ms. Crate can help close the gender gap in STEM fields? Tweet us @BritandCo to let us know!