MIT professor Esther Duflo has helped transform the field of developmental economics by applying a scientific approach to policy interventions focused on alleviating global poverty.

Dr. Esther Duflo has just become the second woman in history and the youngest person ever to win a Nobel Prize in Economics! The 46-year-old MIT professor shares the prize with her husband, Dr. Abhijit Banerjee, and colleague Dr. Michael Kremer; together they have helped millions of people around the world with their research to develop practical interventions to alleviating global poverty. “In just two decades, their new experiment-based approach has transformed development economics, which is now a flourishing field,” the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in today's prize announcement. After learning of her Nobel win, Duflo said she was "humbled" and, in light of how underrepresented women are in the field of economics, she hopes that it will "inspire many, many other women to continue working and many other men to give them the respect that they deserve like every single human being." Continue reading → Continue reading

Dr. Sherri Mason's groundbreaking research discovered the widespread prevalence of microplastics in the environment.

Dr. Sherri Mason, whose research alerted the world to the widespread prevalence of microplastics, has been awarded a Heinz Award for Public Policy for her groundbreaking work to address this growing health and environment problem. Mason was the first scientist to research and identify microplastics pollution in the Great Lakes, the largest freshwater system in the world. Her research brought international attention to the threats posed by microplastics, leading to state and federal bans on microbeads, tiny bits of plastic used in exfoliating scrubs and washes that Mason discovered were accumulating in the environment and the food chain. "Sherri’s research has made the issue of plastic pollution real and present for everyone," said Teresa Heinz, Chairman of the Heinz Family Foundation. "Her ongoing work can be an important key to ending the steady accumulation of plastics in our environment." Continue reading → Continue reading

Our favorite costumes based on popular Mighty Girl characters and photos of Mighty Girls in costume shared by our community!

Halloween is all about imagining yourself as someone else so if there's a character that speaks to you, why not dress up as them? Most kids have a favorite character, and whether that character is from a book, TV show, or a movie, Halloween provides a great opportunity to become the character they love — at least for a day! Continue reading → Continue reading

Sarah Davis will be the 18th chief ranger of the vast 2.2 million acre national park.

The iconic Yellowstone National Park has just appointed its first female chief ranger in its 147-year history! When she takes on her new role in December, Sarah Davis will be the 18th chief ranger of the vast 2.2 million acre park. "Sarah is an outstanding leader with a track record of high performance, strategic thinking, and collaboration," Superintendent Cam Sholly said in a statement announcing Davis' appointment. "We’re lucky to have her join the Yellowstone team." Continue reading → Continue reading

In honor of Banned Books Week, we're showcasing a selection of high quality books for children and teens that have been challenged or banned.

The Diary of A Young Girl is a classic Mighty Girl book that beautifully captures the emotional life of its author, Anne Frank, as her family and friends attempted to hide from the Nazi regime. It has been translated into 67 languages and sold over 30 million copies, and is often used by schools for units on the Holocaust or to discuss the feelings and physical changes that come with adolescence. Continue reading → Continue reading

"If we cannot treat our sexual assault victims right, especially if justice has been denied to them for so many years, we certainly want to be able to treat our current survivors properly."

In 2009, over 11,000 untested sexual assault evidence kits were found in a Detroit police storage warehouse during a routine tour, some dating back to 1984. After the discovery of the abandoned rape kits, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy was determined to seek justice for the victims. She and her team started the long process of testing the kits, investigating the crimes, and prosecuting the perpetrators. Last month, after a decade of unrelenting effort, she announced that they had successfully tested the entire backlog! In the process, they identified 824 serial rapists and have won 197 convictions so far, with hundreds of investigations still underway. While Worthy is proud of the work she's done, she says it has revealed upsetting truths about how the justice system has long failed rape survivors, observing: "If we cannot treat our sexual assault victims right, especially if justice has been denied to them for so many years, we certainly want to be able to treat our current survivors properly." Continue reading → Continue reading

The U.S. Army has many examples of brothers becoming generals; now, for the first time, a pair of sisters have both been named generals.

For the first time in the U.S. Army's 244-year history, a pair of sisters have both reached the rank of general! Brigadier General Paula Lodi joined her older sister Major General Maria Barrett in the generals' ranks after a promotions ceremony in July. It's a major milestone for women in military service, who remain significantly underrepresented in the Army, particularly in the higher ranks. "Maj. Gen. Maria Barrett and Brig. Gen. Paula Lodi represent the best America has to offer," said Acting Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy in a statement. "However, this comes as no surprise to those who have known them and loved them throughout this extraordinary journey. This is a proud moment for their families and for the Army." Continue reading → Continue reading

In order for our Mighty Girls to learn how to stand up against bullying, they need the help of the adults in their lives. Parents, teachers, school administrators, coaches and others in the community can have a powerful impact on children's attitudes toward bullying and how they will respond if they experience or are witness to it. But it can be challenging for adults to know when typical childhood conflict turns into a pattern of bullying, and to decipher when they should step in and when they should let children resolve their own conflicts.

In this third part of our blog series for Bullying Prevention Month, we focus on resources for parents and educators that explore the problem of childhood bullying and provide strategies for raising caring, kind children and handling those times when children aren’t so kind.

For Mighty Girl books on bullying prevention for young children, check out our post, The End of Bullying Begins With Me: Bullying Prevention Books for Young Children.. For bullying prevention resources for older kids, visit our post, Taking A Stand Against Bullying: Bullying Prevention Books for Tweens and Teens. Continue reading → Continue reading

Judy Garland's Dorothy was one of the early 20th century's defining Mighty Girl characters.

There are few stories from American literature and film as well known as The Wizard of Oz! Whether you read the book first or marveled at the classic MGM movie, Dorothy Gale and her friends Toto the dog, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and the Cowardly Lion have been beloved by generations. Dorothy, famously played by actress Judy Garland, was one of the early 20th century's defining Mighty Girl characters, although her determination occasionally got her book into hot water — in 1928, the book was banned from public libraries in Chicago "for depicting women in strong leadership roles"! Continue reading → Continue reading

This second-ever assessment of students' technology and engineering abilities found that girls outscored boys in all six areas tested.

In a national assessment of engineering and technology skills, eighth-grade girls outperformed boys in all six areas tested — countering the long-held stereotype that boys have a more natural aptitude for these technical fields. The recently reported results of the 2018 Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) exam, which tests both content knowledge and ability to put that knowledge into practice, revealed that girls scored higher than boys in every category, even though fewer girls take technology and engineering classes in school than boys. "The girls have done extremely well in this assessment," says Peggy Carr, associate commissioner for assessment at the National Center for Education Statistics. "Girls are outperforming boys whether they take a class or not. And when girls take a course, they also score higher." Continue reading → Continue reading