Calgary children’s book author Maria Marianayagam is encouraging girls to break down some traditional barriers in her latest publication, The Amazing Power of Girls.
The book focuses on some of the basic forces of physics, such as gravity and buoyancy, and opens up the possibility for more girls to get into the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Marianayagam read an excerpt from the book during a presentation with elementary students at Clear Water Academy.
“The book features some really famous women in STEM,” Marianayagam told the students. “We’ve got Dr. Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman who went into space.”
With men still dominating many STEM fields, the students were encouraged by much of the material in The Amazing Power of Girls.
“I love that the book tells you that girls can do anything,” Grade 4 student Sara Parsons said. “I think girls should believe in themselves and try something new that they haven’t tried.”
As a chemical engineer, Marianayagam is herself involved in STEM, having worked as an engineer for 10 years in the energy field.
Marianayagam is also with the Alberta Women’s Science Network, an organization that provides funding to support girls learning about STEM subjects.
“I remember my grandpa teaching me about gravity when I was four, and I just totally ate it up and I loved it,” Marianayagam said. “So, to see other kids, including my own, being able to engage with the concepts and to really understand them, is really exciting for me.”