© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Modifying The Dollhouse: Exposing Girls To Tech Through Play

Two recent Stanford graduates are trying to get more girls interested in technology — by embedding it in dollhouses.

The founders of Roominate, Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen, took the concept of building toys for girls to a whole new level by adding wires and generators.

What was originally meant to be just a dollhouse built from colorful building pieces and connectable motors became more as both boys and girls used their kits to create objects ranging from cotton candy makers to double-decker bridges.

The founders say they're considering building components that would enable kids to go beyond mundane terrestrial objects, like cars and trains, to sci-fi film-worthy components, such as spaceships and rockets.

In the latest installment of Youth Radio's Brains and Beakers series, Brooks and Chen showed how Roominate works.

This story was produced by Youth Radio.

Copyright 2021 YR Media. To see more, visit YR Media.

Christina So

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

Related Content