The game Monopoly first hit shelves in 1935. Since then, the toy company Hasbro has released more than 1,000 versions of the game. But most versions are played the same way. Players race to buy different properties and charge their opponents rent. The goal is to be the last player with any Monopoly money.
Since she was in second grade, Gitanjali Rao has loved Monopoly. But one of the newest versions of the game, Ms. Monopoly, is her favorite. Instead of buying properties, players buy inventions created by women throughout history.
Ms. Monopoly holds special significance for Gitanjali since she’s an inventor herself. Now 13, Gitanjali created a device that detects lead in drinking water. As part of the release of Ms. Monopoly, Hasbro gave Gitanjali and two other female kid inventors $20,580 each!
“Most of my friends that became interested in science did so after they saw a lesson about an important female scientist,” says Gitanjali. She’s excited that Ms. Monopoly can introduce more female role models to kids.