JoinFeatured Presentation
National Conference in Anaheim • April 15-18, 2026
Breaking Stereotypes Through Playful Science Learning
Friday, April 17 • 8:00-9:00 AM
Dr. Amanda Sullivan, Senior Researcher at the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP)
About the Session
In this featured session, researcher and author Dr. Amanda Sullivan invites participants to explore how intentional, play-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning can disrupt the early development of gender stereotypes and shape children’s scientific identities. Drawing on empirical research from her books Breaking the STEM Stereotype: Reaching Girls in Early Childhood and Playful STEAM Learning in the Early Years, Dr. Sullivan highlights early childhood as a critical developmental window for building curiosity, science self-efficacy, and positive associations with scientific thinking and problem solving.
Grounded in research on cognitive development and identity formation this session demonstrates how hands-on investigations—such as observing, predicting, testing, and revising ideas—support young children’s engagement with core scientific practices. Participants will examine how low-cost, screen-free, and interdisciplinary activities can introduce foundational concepts in physical, life, and earth sciences, as well as engineering design and computational thinking, for learners in preschool through the early elementary grades.
Attendees will leave with evidence-based strategies and resources developed by the National Girls Collaborative Project that translate research into practice, helping educators transform early childhood classrooms and informal learning environments into inclusive laboratories of discovery—where all young learners, especially girls, are encouraged to see themselves as capable scientists, engineers, and innovators from the very start.
Dr. Amanda Sullivan
Dr. Amanda Sullivan, Senior Researcher at the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP), is a leading expert passionate about gender equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). She focuses on fostering playful, early learning experiences through an equity lens. Sullivan’s work strives to create STEM experiences as diverse as the world we live in by translating evidence-based research into practical applications and resources for educators, caregivers, and practitioners nationwide. Prior to NGCP, Sullivan worked with the Developmental Technologies Research Group, now based out of Boston College, where she contributed to the creation of various STEM-focused educational apps and technologies for young children. She is the author of the book Breaking the STEM Stereotype: Reaching Girls in Early Childhood, co-author of the book Playful STEAM Learning in the Early Years: An Educator’s Guide to Screen-Free Explorations, and the co-author of the forthcoming book, Digital Motherhood: Navigating Technology and Apps from Pregnancy Through the Early Years. She holds a Master’s and Ph.D. in Child Study & Human Development from Tufts University.