PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- While women
continue to make strides at the workplace, it's not enough,
according to Ellen Langas, who is a
youth career education advocate and author of the Girls Know
How® book series. "It's critical that this generation of
girls and boys grows up in an environment where gender parity is
the norm, not the exception. We need to redefine the notion of
'girl power' for the next generation of young women and ensure that
it is focused on career development from an earlier age," says
Langas.
Langas founded Kids Know How in 2000 and has created a book
series dedicated to encouraging girls ages 7 to 12 to explore
careers and develop the skills and attitudes that will support them
as they grow. The books have most recently been made available on
QVC.com.
"We need to eliminate preconceived notions of what girls can or
cannot achieve," says Langas. "That means going beyond the broad
notion of 'girl power' by helping them envision themselves in a
variety of career fields, and exposing them to real-life role
models and diverse female characters in books and media that
portray women in leadership positions in the workplace."
Each book within the fiction chapter-book series for tweens
introduces a different career, and a character based on a real-life
successful female role model. Readers gain meaningful exposure to
careers through reading about girls who might be just like them,
while the books enable parents and teachers to start and keep the
conversation going about career paths.
"While planning a career is probably not on the radar in
elementary school, it's the ideal time to lay the groundwork,"
Langas says. "By the time girls reach middle school, research
indicates that body consciousness and social acceptance can pull
focus from academics, causing girls to shelve their dreams and
ambitions."
The newest book in the series, Super Science
Girls!, introduces STEM careers, a field in which women
continue to be underrepresented compared to their male
counterparts, according to Langas. Sylvia
Todd, who created the popular online Sylvia's
Super-Awesome Maker Show at age 8, serves as the real-life
inspiration behind Sylvia's character in Super Science
Girls!
"Girls are as naturally inquisitive as boys, and if they are
exposed to science at a young age, they are likely to embrace it,"
says Pat Woody Reeves, the former
chief engineer of the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center, whose
career served as the basis for one of the characters in Super
Science Girls!
"Helping girls discover the relevance of science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM) in everyday life stimulates curiosity
and problem-solving skills, and introduces a variety of career
paths," according to Langas, who has held positions with Corning
Inc. and Westinghouse, and served as a corporate officer and
popular program host at QVC, Inc. She is president of NouSoma
Communications, Inc. near Philadelphia. "We want girls to know that with
hard work, perseverance and passion, they can achieve anything to
which they set their minds, without barriers," says Langas.
Girls Know How books include a Girls Want to Know
interview and activities at the end of each book, plus classroom
study guides that are free at girlsknowhow.com. Other books in the
series introduce journalism, construction and teaching. Recommended
for ages 7 – 12, the books retail between $4.95 and $7.95 and
are available at book stores, qvc.com (exclusive set with the
author's autograph), bn.com and girlsknowhow.com. For more
information, call 610-658-5889 or
email 187273@email4pr.com.
Media contact: Kristen Stewart,
Nousoma Communications, Inc.
610-658-5889 187273@email4pr.com
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SOURCE Girls Know How