The California-based Educational Card Project was begun with the mission to design and distribute playing cards to educators who will use them to inspire girls to pursue careers in the sciences. The project recently released the Notable Women in the Physical Sciences playing card. The deck features 54 women (four suits of 13 cards each and two jokers). All 54 cards may be viewed here.
The effort was founded and directed by Bunny Laden, a former research assistant professor at the University of Washington where she taught music cognition and the psychology of music. She then worked as a technical writer for Apple. She holds a Ph.D. in cognitive science and music.
Dr. Laden states that after attending a conference and noting the huge gender gap in speakers, “I decided to learn about women — present and past — who have and are making contributions to the physical sciences, make playing cards to highlight their achievements, and give the decks to schools and other groups where they could inspire girls to pursue the sciences.”
Dr. Laden hopes to continue with similar card packs. “The physical sciences are just the start,” she explains. “The purpose of the Educational Card Project is to make and distribute cards that highlight the achievements of any underrepresented group in any S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) field.”
The cards can be purchased here.