Mattel Canada is showing young girls all that they can be at the Barbie Academy, a two-day event that coincides with the launch of six new dolls in its 2010 career doll line.

The event is being held at the Bata Show Museum in Toronto March 20 and 21, and will include interactive stations that allow girls to "try on" different professions represented in the line including a surfer, veterinarian, race car driver, dentist, rock star and ballerina.

At the "rock star" station, girls can perform a Barbie song and dance on a pink stage using a guitar or drums. They can also pose for a Barbie magazine cover.

After visiting each station, the girls will walk a pink carpet and receive a diploma from Barbie.

The event is about "educating the girls that they can be anything that they want to be," said Danielle Smith, account supervisor, Spider Marketing Solutions, the agency behind the event.

The girls can learn about each career and what it involves, she said.

The campaign includes national retail events taking place over the next two weekends at Walmart, Sears, Zellers and Toys "R" Us. At each girls will be asked questions like what their favourite school subject is, to determine which profession is ideal for them.

"We want to encourage girls to play out dreams and ambitions by allowing them to experience a variety of traditional and non-traditional roles," said Adriana Gut, brand manager, Mattel, in a release.

Mattel is supporting the event through Barbie.ca, and at various events leading up to the Academy, in addition to PR managed by GCI.