Women and Kids in STEMM and Space
This article began as an original work, however I have had to rewrite this post as my original blog post went missing.
During this time, my hard-cover book You Stand On Her Shoulders: 50 Women Inventors and Pioneers the Patriarchy Doesn’t Want You to Know About, by American Olivia Starling (daughter of a Marine and Nurse), arrived–so I will draw on an example from this masterpiece (Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos didn’t want this book written, so you know it’s good).
On page 63, Dorothy Vaughan (made famous in the movie Hidden Figures)—a Mathematician (i.e., Human Computer) worked for the United States’ National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA)—then to be succeeded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), changed the world through her career and the births of her children.
For many who have read Olivia Starling’s book and her Instagram @herwikiorg—they would have become aware of the insecurities plaguing women and children, especially female children and teenagers—and how others would prey on those insecurities.
I am Rochelle Bauer Bailey, and I have a daughter whose name is Lara, whom has been interested in building machines since she was a toddler at Childcare. She watched a YouTube Kids video about making a Breakfast Machine—so we did at the tender age of 3-years-old. Lara cried because when we pressed the cardboard button for breakfast and the breakfast didn’t come out. Lara, the Innovator, quickly made the decision for Mummy to turn around—press the button again (after some rummaging) and Voila! The breakfast magically appeared in the slot below (she stole from the cupboard).
For a Mum like myself, who in Grade 9 decided I didn’t understand Physics because “when you lean against the wall, the wall leans against you”—having a daughter interested in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) and being artistic at such a young age brought about a renewed interest in the STEMM field.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic when Lara was less than a year old, Lara and I met the YouTuber Derek Muller—Veritasium on YouTube. He was with the Solar Car Team from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) for the Australian Solar Car Challenge.
Rochelle’s Instagram post with Derek Muller from Veritasium
At a Women On Boards’ Meeting on the 24th of August 2023 (I received the Women On Boards’ full scholarship in Melbourne for their Personal Career Management course in 2023), I introduced Lara to the Chief Scientist of South Australia, Caroline McMillen—with Lara dressed as a mermaid for Book Week. Lara showed Caroline her Childcare-made “remote control train”—made out of a Colgate toothpaste box, and a sponge for the battery.
Lara showing Caroline McMillen her invention
I hope that with my and Lara (the youngest member of the Adelaide Rover Team) continuing as members of the Adelaide Rover Team, this leads to improving kids’ and women’s ongoing interest in Space and STEMM, and having Primary School and High School students attend the Australian Rover Challenge (ARCh) held yearly at Adelaide University’s Roseworthy Campus, adding visiting the Adelaide Rover Team stall at Adelaide University’s Ingenuity (South Australia’s largest STEM Expo) and Science Alive!, as well as adding visiting the Adelaide Rover Team stall to the Children’s University passport.
Lara with Katherine Bennell-Pegg @aussieastrokatherine at Science Alive!
