Stanford engineer gets girls thinking outside the Barbie box

Pink Barbie boxes usually fill up the girls' toy section in any store, and these iconic dolls are the go-to gift for anyone with a young daughter. Debbie Sterling, an engineer from Stanford University, doesn't have anything against Barbie, but she has created a new product for girls that she hopes will get girls interested in a subject she is passionate about.

While taking classes at Stanford University, Debbie recognized the small number of women within her traditionally male-dominated major of engineering. So Debbie decided to do something to spark an interest in engineering for children. She created a toy that young girls would enjoy while also introducing them to simple engineering activities. Her product is called GoldieBlox.

GoldieBlox is a book and building set for girls ages 5-9 featuring Goldie, the girl inventor, and several other friends who solve problems by building machines. As girls read through the book, they can use their own toolkit, which uses ribbon in place of rope, in order to build what Goldie builds.

Sterling has completed more than 100 tests of her prototype and expressed in her video that she is ready to make a difference.

"Help me build GoldieBlox, so our girls can help build the future," she said.

In order to start production of this new project, 5,000 pre-orders must be made. Since Sterling began publicizing the project in September, more than 5,000 people have expressed interest in backing it, and $285, 881 has been pledged.

Sarah Sanders Petersen is an intern for Deseret News where she writes for Mormon Times and other feature articles. She is a Communications major and editing minor.