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Joanna Weiss

For girls, a path blocked by Lego toys

Frilly Legos won’t encourage girls to enter scientific careers

By Joanna Weiss

 |  Globe Columnist  

  February 14, 2012

It turns out, fully 74 percent of girls - and even higher percentages of African American and Hispanic girls - say they’re interested in the so-called STEM fields of science, technology, math, and engineering. The trick, it turns out, is breaking professions into their component parts. Girls who are interested in STEM want to know how things work. They like solving puzzles and problems. They want to understand the natural world. The hard part is making the conversion from childhood interest into grown-up careers.

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