In an earlier post, Role Models – on Paper!, I shared the fun  and informative Career Paper Dolls created by Hannah Holt of Lightbulb Books. Hannah has added more interesting career characters to her collection, and she even included some neuroscientists, which I had requested! (Learning about the brain is a BIG deal at our school!) The newly highlighted careers are neurologist, neurosurgeon, mathematician, post-doc computer programmer, large animal veterinarian, and helicopter pilot.

These are far more than just your typical paper dolls. You can use them as paper dolls or as pages for kids to read and examine. They are available in full color or black and white outline versions for coloring. You can get PDFs for all the pages here.

Full color version. Also available in black and white outline for coloring.

Black and white outline version. Also available in full color.

Each page outlines two different professionals who work collaboratively. Their work, and how what each of them does intersects, is described in a brief story on each page. (There are two pages for the neurologist and neuroscientist. They work collaboratively, but on each of their pages they are paired with the same patient, which is a beautiful touch, since it quietly highlights the importance of the doctor/patient relationship and collaboration, and underscores the humanity of the patient.) The multicultural characters, the clothing they need for their work, and their tools and equipment are labeled and described.

Veterinarian and helicopter pilot collaborate professionally – how cool is that?!!!

I can’t even really pick my favorite from among all the tools – they are just that cool: a sling to transport a sick horse by helicopter, an EEG cap, PET scanner, computer code book, and, hilariously, instant noodles – because what post-doc actually has time to cook?!!!

Career essentials for all post-docs: ramen noodles and cheap transportation!

So far, all the characters are female (Hannah started the career paper doll project specifically to inspire girls to consider STEM and other non-traditional careers), but she’s going to be adding males as she develops additional career characters. The upcoming careers look like they’ll be just as great – maybe they’ll even include some of my other requests! Check out Lightbulb Books for the Career Paper Dolls and lots of other pin-worthy activities to do with kids!

You might also be interested in:

Role Models on Paper  

What Shall I Be? A Truly Scary Career Resource