In one state, 80% of domestic violence cases are dismissed, often due to lack of evidence. This app will help change that.

Sheri Kurdakul is a domestic violence survivor, so she knows how hard it can be to prove the systematic nature of abuse: often by the time someone gathers the courage to report their abuser, they're trying to remember details of events that are months or years old. This can make it challenging to build a case against abusers and, unfortunately, many domestic violence cases are dismissed as a result, including 80% of cases in one state. To help make it easier for victims to document abuse, Kurdakul has created an app called VictimsVoice, which records incidences of abuse in a way that's safe, secure, and legally admissible. "What did you have for lunch 10 days ago? What was the weather like? Can you remember without looking at your calendar?" she asks. "If you cannot recall this, then how is a victim supposed to remember something that happened when they are trying to stay safe, protect their kids and pets — months, even years in the past? That’s the problem we solve." Continue reading → Continue reading

The Nobel committee praised Glück "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal."

The acclaimed American poet and essayist Louise Glück has been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize for Literature! The Nobel committee praised Glück "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal." The 77-year-old Yale professor is best known for lyric poems focused on intense personal experiences, such as those involving loss, rejection, desire, and healing. She has been honored with a Pulitzer Prize for The Wild Iris and a National Book Award for Faithful and Virtuous Night, as well as serving as the Poet Laureate of the United States for 2003 to 2004. In announcing the award, the Nobel Prize committee chair Anders Olsson, praised Glück's unique voice, observing: "It is candid and uncompromising, and it signals that this poet wants to be understood — but it is also a voice full of humor and biting wit.” Continue reading → Continue reading

Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier and Dr. Jennifer A. Doudna's development of a groundbreaking method for editing DNA which is widely considered the greatest breakthrough in the biological sciences since DNA was first discovered!

Emmanuelle Charpentier, left, and Jennifer A. Doudna after receiving the Japan Prize for "outstanding achievements in science and technology" in 2017.

Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier and Dr. Jennifer A. Doudna were awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize for Chemistry this week for their development of a groundbreaking method for editing DNA which is widely considered the greatest breakthrough in the biological sciences since DNA was first discovered! Doudna, an American biochemist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and Charpentier, a French microbiologist and the director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin, Germany, discovered the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors, a tool that allows scientists to "snip" the DNA of organisms, allowing for easy and precise genetic modifications. The pair are the first women to jointly win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and represent the sixth and seventh women in history to win the chemistry prize. "This technology has utterly transformed the way we do research in basic science," asserts Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health. "I am thrilled to see Crispr-Cas getting the recognition we have all been waiting for, and seeing two women being recognized as Nobel Laureates." Continue reading → Continue reading

Dr. Andrea Ghez became the fourth woman in history to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for her discovery of a supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.

Dr. Andrea Ghez was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics this week for her discovery of a supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy! The astrophysicist, who is the Lauren B. Leichtman and Arthur E. Levine Professor of Astrophysics at UCLA, shares half of the prize with Reinhard Genzel of UC Berkeley; the other half recognizes Roger Penrose, a professor at the University of Oxford who proved that black holes must be a physical reality. Ghez was delighted to receive the award, particularly because she is only the fourth woman in history to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics. "I'm thrilled to receive the prize and I take very seriously the responsibility associated with being... the fourth woman to win," Ghez said after the announcement. "[And] I think today I feel more passionate about the teaching side of my job than I have ever. Because it's so important to convince the younger generation that their ability to question, and their ability to think, is just crucial to the future of the world." Continue reading → Continue reading

From workbooks from trusted brands like Highlights, School Zone, and Brain Quest to new series that incorporate popular characters from Star Wars and Minecraft, there's a workbook in our new round-up that every child will love!

Whether you'd like to supplement your children's remote classes or are planning on homeschooling this year, many parents are looking for ways to make at-home learning easier for the new school year. A high-quality workbook can be revolutionary for a child, allowing them to move at their own pace, tying the abstract lesson they're learning into topics that interest them, and fostering a sense of independence and self-confidence. It's no wonder that demand for children's academic workbooks is at an all-time high! Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's round-up of new stamps honoring trailblazing women throughout history!

With record numbers of Americans planning on voting by mail this election and concerns about the health of the Postal Service on the rise, many people want to support USPS — and a great way to do so is by buying stamps! Whether you're a collector or just looking for a few fun stamps to use when mailing cards and letters, the USPS offers a wide selection of stamps, including several current stamps honoring the contributions of mighty women from history. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl tribute to this beloved Mighty Girl character and Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud Montgomery!

For generations, readers have fallen in love with Anne Shirley, also known as Anne of Green Gables! Since author L.M. Montgomery published her novel about the imaginative red-haired orphan in 1908, the book has sold over 50 million copies around the world, and sparked adaptations for both stage and screen. It's no wonder that so many people know immediately who you mean when you talk about "Anne with an E." Continue reading → Continue reading

From women's history to outer space, artsy cats to world maps, we've featured puzzles to reflect the wide range of Mighty Girls' interests!

There's something soothing about putting together a puzzle. Especially during such a stressful time, many people — kids and adults alike — are finding puzzles to be a welcome distraction, and a fun way to occupy their hands and calm their minds. Plus, a larger scale puzzle can be a terrific family activity: working on one together, chatting all the while, can be a cherished tradition for the whole family to enjoy. Continue reading → Continue reading

Lillian Kay Petersen of Los Alamos, New Mexico developed a tool to help aid organizations better plan for food shortages by using satellite data to predict crop harvests early in the growing season.

For 17-year-old Lillian Kay Petersen, the impact of hunger on children has a personal face: "Nine years ago, my family adopted my three younger siblings, all of whom faced food insecurity in their childhoods," she explains. "I have watched my younger siblings struggle with the lifelong effects of malnutrition." Inspired by her siblings' experience, Lillian developed a tool to help aid organizations better plan for food shortages by using satellite data to predict crop harvests early in the growing season. Her tool yielded such impressive results that she was awarded the $250,000 top prize in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the United States' oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. The Mighty Girl from Los Alamos, New Mexico is thrilled by the honor and the potential of her research to help children facing food insecurity around the world so "they don't face malnutrition and lifelong consequences." Continue reading → Continue reading

After learning that the Oakland Zoo might close permanently due to the pandemic, 6-year-old Andy Soulard wanted to help save the animals — and has raised over $220,000!

When 6-year-old Andrea "Andy" Soulard learned that the Oakland Zoo might have to shut down permanently due to loss of income during the pandemic shutdown, the California Mighty Girl wanted to help. "I like to see the animals," she explains. "I like the guinea hogs, the otters and the tigers." So with her seventh birthday approaching, Andy decided to ask people to donate to the zoo instead of giving her a present this year, and she pledged to make a bracelet for anyone who donated $25 or more. She hoped to raise $200, but after word of her fundraiser started spreading online, people began donating from across the country — and, in less than a month, she's now raised $220,000 and counting! "We are at a loss for words," her mother, Kelly Soulard, wrote on Facebook, "but know we are so touched at the outpouring of support." Continue reading → Continue reading