How {&Why} Disney Junior is Introducing Girls to STEM Fields Early

One of Shane’s favorite shows, Miles from Tomorrowland, is breaking down barriers without our kids even knowing it. Our kids just think they’re watching an awesome show about a family who lives in space and has a robo-ostrich- and they’re right, that is the show. However, there’s so much more than that.

In the show, Miles Callisto and his family all live in space working for the Tomorrowland Transit Authority {TTA}. His mom– not his dad- is the Captain of the ship. Miles has a sister, Loretta, who is really great with technology, especially coding. The entire Callisto family is smart, strong, and full of love for one another- they are a family that I’m happy to let my boys watch on TV.

As you can see, despite having the show named after Miles, the show really does highlight girls and women as well. Miles’s mom is the leader of her family and the Captain of the ship, his sister is brilliant, and even the voice of the ship is a woman! This was done very intentionally, because Disney Junior is trying to show girls at a very young age that they can enjoy, love, and learn about science just like boys can.

Back in October, I had the chance to go to Google Headquarters {pretty much the birthplace of so much of today’s technology and engineering} and had the chance to meet several of those involved in this focus. Among them was {left to right}: Julie Ann Crommett {CS Education in Media Program Manager at Google}, Diane Ikemiyashiro {Director or Original Programming at Disney Junior}, Angela Navarro {Software Engineer at Google}, Isis Anchalee Wenger {Engineer}, Dr. Yvonne Cagle {NASA Astronaut and Consultant on Miles from Tomorrowland} and Sascha Paladino, creator of Miles from Tomorrowland.

Today, many STEM {science, technology, engineering and math} fields are dominated by men, and it often deters girls from wanting to grow up and work in those fields. The stereotype is that most people in those fields are white males, and that can either be intimidating to girls or can make them not want to pursue it because they don’t want to be the only female. In college, my sorority sister was an engineering major and the only female in almost every one of her classes, and even though she did ultimately graduate with a degree in engineering, she struggled sometimes with being surrounded by men all the time without another female to talk to or relate to. Disney Junior is just one of a multitude of organizations trying to change the perception of the field, the fact that men are the majority in some of these fields, and that girls sometimes aren’t made to feel like they even could or should grow up to have these careers.

During the panel, Isis Anchalee, a software engineer, talked about the moment that led to her starting the #ILookLikeAnEngineer movement on social media. They company she worked for had asked her to post for a photograph for an advertisement for the company, and she agreed. When the ad went live, the response was mostly from people saying that they didn’t believe she was an engineer- based on nothing but the photo they saw of her. The perception of who works in these fields is often so biased that even when we see a photograph of someone who really is a representation of it, rather than a stock photo model, there is a huge level of doubt. Isis worked hard in school and to land her job, and was not about to be told that she didn’t look like an engineer- she earned that job title! So, she took to Twitter and began a huge movement that is still bringing awareness to the issue, months later.

There were way too many inspiring moments to include them all in one post, but one that really touched me came from Dr. Yvonne Cagle. When she was asked about why she became an astronaut, she said, “I had all these questions… No one had the answers and at that point I realized that the only way I was going to get the answers I was to really go and experience it for myself.”

The overwhelming feeling at the panel was pretty much summed up in something that Angela Navarro, Google Engineer said, “Curiosity is key when you’re a kid. Science and be found in everything, even sports, draw the association in the things kids are interested in…. to make them want to know why.” That’s what Disney is trying to instill in children- both male and female- with shows like Miles from Tomorrowland. They are trying to show that not only can they follow their dreams, but that they can make those dreams whatever they want to be- they just have to start being curious!

Tomorrow, your kids can catch an all new episode of Miles from Tomorrowland, which features Loretta and her coding abilities! Check out the preview below and don’t miss the episode premiering tomorrow, Friday 12/4 at 10:30 AM EST/PST on Disney Channel!

If you could study or work in any field of STEM, what would you pick?