A new subscription service sends science projects to young girls interested in STEM, and it needs help on Kickstarter.
STEMBox was created by Cristina McAllister, a research scientist in the field of gene therapy. She wanted to combine her own interest in science with a drive to get more young girls involved in exploring science both in and out of school.
The boxes contain instructions, sophisticated supplies, and safety wear for science experiments, plus some cute bonuses like plushies or temporary tattoos. The boxes also synch up with a video series that provides an in-depth explanation of the experiment contained in the box, given by a female role model working in the relevant field.
“I’m creating StemBox to give young girls access to real science in a way that doesn’t make them feel that they’re in a class being tested on their abilities,” McAllister wrote on Kickstarter. “I want girls to create an emotional and inspiring connection with science that fuels them to achieve their goals and create their own futures before they are dissuaded from pursuing science.”
There have been two boxes produced so far, one containing the tools to extract DNA from a strawberry and the other focused on dissecting owl pellets. Future boxes will include computer programming games, crystallized structures and rock candy, engineering kits, and other experiments pertaining to subjects like astronomy and space sciences, bacteria, aviation, and math and special engineering.
The first two boxes have been tested with focus groups of girls already. The next step is to build more boxes and get the company off the ground, and that’s where the Kickstarter comes in. STEMBox has raised about $4,000 of its $15,000 goal as of July 10. The campaign ends on Aug. 7, with backers gaining a variety of rewards including a subscription.
STEMboxes are targeted toward girls ages 7 – 13.