Inspiration and representation are always going to be important aspects in preparing younger generations to make their impact on the world. There’s no shortage of old adages about those who walked so we could run, and the presence of leaders and role models is a brilliant way to focus the younger minds on what they can achieve. And while there are still definite societal obstacles to the advancement of young women, it’s helpful to recognize that some of the most honored women in our history overcame considerable odds to achieve what they have.
As the girls of today go on to become the women of tomorrow, it’s useful to show them what has been achieved by those who went before. We have our first female vice president, and while we’re still waiting for the first woman to make it all the way to the top job, a lot of other women had to be the first in their capacity – including the three we’ll talk about below.
Strong Women Bingo Game
There are 24 different strong women your girls will learn about playing this bingo game. Girls will learn what each of these women did during their lives while having fun playing bingo.
Rachel Carson
In the present day, the tireless work of Greta Thunberg is amplifying the cause of ecological activism, and her efforts are essential in keeping the issue of greenhouse gas emissions on the agenda. Before Greta there was Rachel Carson, a writer and biologist whose campaigning on the effects of synthetic pesticides led to the eventual banning of widespread use of DDT. Rachel’s trailblazing work on protecting our planet is credited with leading to the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency, and her book Silent Spring was the first work to bring the issue of environmentalism to the broader American public.
Sally Ride
As discussions continue on the best way to get humankind back to the Moon, and potentially further afield, it’s possible that the first woman who will walk on the Moon has already been born. And that young woman or girl can take inspiration from Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Sally’s career saw her fly on two separate Space Shuttle missions, operating a robot arm which put satellites into space. After her retirement from NASA she went on to teach science and math and encourage young girls. You can learn more about Sally Ride and the missions she flew and her lasting influence. For young women in STEM, she’s a shining example.
Katherine Johnson
While Katherine Johnson never went into space herself, her razor-sharp calculation skills were needed by NASA to plan flight paths, but when she went to work for them in 1953 she’d already made history in 1939 by being one of the first three African-American students to break a color bar with their acceptance onto the graduate program at West Virginia University. In 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the moon – but it was Johnson’s calculations that put him in position to do it. Katherine earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, and was an indispensable part of a journey that took us all the way to the Moon.
In Conclusion
The three women above achieved astonishing things and have passed on a torch that will be carried by women for as long as time goes on. If you need some inspiration to show what women can do, there are few better examples.
Enjoy every minute being a leader and continue to inspire your girls!
