Science Before Sparkles: How Two Moms Are Getting Real Science to Girls

September 26, 2017

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Science is for boys.

That's the message that many girls are getting about science. Scientists and moms, Marcie Colledge and Kelly McCollum, the Founders of Yellow Scope, aim to change this message.

The two met at their daughters' school, where they volunteered together running after-school STEM programs. They noticed a disturbing trend. In elementary school, girls were just as excited about science as boys. But sadly, as they hit middle school, many girls were losing interest and confidence in science.

[Attachment]Statistics from the National Girls Collaborative Project Girls Collaborative Project shows that this trend continues beyond school. While women make up 50 percent of the total workforce, they hold less than 30 percent of all STEM-related jobs.

McCollum said, 'We were aware of the gender disparity in science, technology, engineering, and math, and we started thinking about a way to take this knack we have for simplifying complex science topics and creating theme-based, hands-on science in a really creative and engaging way.' That's when Yellow Scope was born.

Yellow Scope fills a void in the market by creating high-quality science kits for girls without all the glitz.

'If you do a Google image search on science kits for girls, you'll notice an abundance of pink and sparkly products aimed at making beauty products. By contrast, if you look at the rigorous physics and chemistry kits, you'll notice they're marketed to boys. Girls are perceptive. They internalize these social cues and, over time, begin to lose confidence and interest in their scientific ability,' McCollum said.

The 'Foundation Chemistry Kit' has been a great success. Colledge recalled, 'A mentor purchased this kit for a girl she is supporting. She walked in as the girl was doing science and said, 'I love that you're playing chemist.' The girl turned around and said, 'I'm not playing a chemist, I am a chemist.' That's exactly what we're hoping to see with girls in science. We want girls to feel like science is for them. It's relevant to your everyday life, it's creative, it's collaborative, and it is so much fun.'