This morning, American Girl revealed its 2018 Girl of the Year Luciana Vega! Most American Girl dolls have given girls insight into history, but the 2018 Girl of the Year is looking into the future. Luciana is a STEM doll who dreams of being an astronaut.

Photo credit: American Girl

3 Reasons To Love American Girl’s 2018 Girl Of The Year Luciana Vega

Today featured on Theresa’s Reviews are three reasons to love this brand new American Girl doll! She will be available in stores and online on January 1st.

American Girl of the Year 2018 Luciana Vega is an aspiring astronaut who dreams of going to Mars. Photo credit: American Girl

She is a good role model for girls.

The president of American Girl Katy Dickson says, “We’re proud to introduce fans to American Girl’s 2018 Girl of the Year, Luciana Vega—a champion of STEM and a natural-born leader who puts her whole heart into making her dreams a reality.”

In Luciana’s story (a chapter book series written by Erin Teagan and published by Scholastic), you learn about her voyage to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Similar to the stories of other American Girl dolls, Luciana faces challenges as she ascends from Space Camp kid to youth astronaut trainee, and must find courage. She is unique for being the only doll who hopes to travel to outer space.

The story of Luciana and her product line are accurate.

The story of Luciana Vega and her product line are realistic and accurate. To develop this doll, an advisory board formed that included former NASA chief scientist Dr. Ellen Stofan, CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Dr. Deborah Barnhart, NASA astronaut Dr. Megan McArthur Behnken, and the Manager of Strategic Alliances at NASA Maureen O’Brien.

To ensure accuracy, a team of American Girl editors and product designers also visited Space Camp and NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. They studied what it was like to spend a day in the life of a Space Camp trainee. Whether they were putting on space suits or learning about the right way to eat in space, they made sure that the doll would share a realistic story.

American Girl partnered with NASA through the Space Act Agreement to inform and inspire the wider public and young girls about the exciting study of space and STEM careers.

Luciana was developed through a partnership that American Girl has with NASA!

Events that spread the news of this doll are educational.

Since Luciana Vega is a smart and curious doll, the events that help announce her release are educational! Check out some that we’re looking forward to this year.

Blast Off to Discovery is an educational program that helps third through fifth grade students explore the study of space through Luciana-inspired content. You can use STEM-based lesson plans, classroom activities, videos, a game, and more. The program will be available on www.scholastic.com starting January 31, 2018.

In addition, American Girl and Scholastic will host a Mission to Mars Sweepstakes where families can go on a series of weekly missions for a chance to win several prizes, including a grand prize trip to Space Camp valued at over $2,000.

On January 1, American Girl stores nationwide are hosting Luciana’s Debut Event, where girls can celebrate the company’s first STEM-themed character with fun, interactive science demonstrations, a Moon Phase craft, galaxy-inspired treats, and a free Luciana doll tee to take home. For more details, visit the American Girl retail calendar.

Click here to read excerpts from the Luciana books and enjoy fun space-inspired activities.

Download the American Girl WorldApp to step into the worlds of Luciana and their other favorite American Girl characters. Experience their stories in a whole new way! The app is available to download later in January through the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Amazon Kindle.

Visit the Luciana-Themed Space Camp! Girls and their families can train just like astronauts—including taking a tumble spin in the Multi-Axis Trainer and designing a robot—at a special Girl of the Year experience created in partnership with Space Camp starting in summer 2018. American Girl is also sponsoring 20 scholarships to attend Space Camp. To learn more, click here.

Theresa’s Reviews – 3 Reasons To Love American Girl’s 2018 Girl Of The Year Luciana Vega

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