Curiosity means the desire to learn something. When used with integrity, curiosity is a positive force in the world. This lesson gives a real-life example of a woman who decided to honor her curiosity and ended up helping humanity. It helps girls understand the importance of pursuing curiosity and how to incorporate the character trait into their lives and relationships.

Curiosity is born out of a human need or desire to understand our world. If girls are confident in who they are and what they want to achieve in life, they will be curious. It is a valuable character trait for all of tomorrow’s leaders.

Curiosity is something generally assigned to a valued piece of life. If one is curious about something, it must mean that particular nugget holds some degree of importance. Today’s girls need to be curious because this leads to the understanding that life is not always lived on the surface. Everyone has roots that go down deep, and when we dig at these roots, we understand why people act differently from each other and believe in different things. When we learn these underlying meanings in people’s lives, we suddenly see the value of accepting people just as they are. The harsh and critical judgment girls tend to sling at each other falls by the wayside and is replaced by acceptance, vulnerability and connection.

During the late 1870s the main education of women consisted of learning how to sew, draw, play an instrument, and run a household. The basics of reading and math were taught, but because women did not work outside of the home and were generally regarded as less intellectual, the need for extensive lessons in math and science was deemed unnecessary.

Then, along came Dr. Marie Curie.

Dr. Curie was curious about science. She didn’t let social constraints keep her from learning. She found a way to get an education and she kept digging. The answers she found have given us significant scientific and cultural breakthroughs.

Girls should be encouraged to tap into their own curiosity and be dogged in their pursuit. Curie's curiosity led her to be the first woman in Europe to earn a Ph.D. and the first person to win Nobel prizes in chemistry and physics. Her studies, and her research contributed to the development of the modern X-ray and radiation treatments for cancer. And it all began with a little curiosity and the dogged determination to dig until the answer was found.