By Mrinalini Venkatachalam | Head - Public Awareness and Youth Initiatives
Girls2Pioneers aims to encourage more young girls to take an interest in and become the next generation workforce in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).
From January to May 2015, Girls2Pioneers had reached out to 572 girls in 4 schools. We also conducted 3 day camps and 11 field trips.
During the day camps, the girls took part in fun activities and challenges that mirror real world careers in STEM and encouraged them to creatively solve problems using everyday objects. They built aqueducts to transport water, constructed the body of an alien, 'hacked' into a system by solving codes, and more. Many of the students came away from the day camps excited to learn more about opportunities in STEM.
Following the day camps, students were invited to field trips in STEM organisations, so that they may meet Women in STEM and see how they work. So far, Girls2Pioneers has conducted field trips to exciting places such as the Mechanobiology Institute (MBI), the Cancer Science Institute and Infineon.
The girls learnt, among other things, how cancer cells grow, how microchips are created by engineers, and how printers are designed and built.
"I thought the (Girls2Pioneers) day camp was extremely fun and enjoyable. I liked learning about the different aspects of STEM, and would want to work in engineering in the future because I like architecture. The (Girls2Pioneers) day camp taught me that Maths and Science (although stereotypically for men) can be for women, too."
- Student, Singapore Chinese Girls School, Secondary 2
"Education is a community effort. One teacher in one classroom may do an amazing job, but collective community efforts are required for collective success. Hence, we want to take this opportunity to thank the Singapore Committee for UN Women for organising and co-ordinating this wonderful programme that brings together volunteers from Standard Chartered, as well as staff, in a process that would enhance the educational opportunities not just for girls in Kellock, but for girls throughout Singapore.
Having observed the remarkable things happening in the microcosm of our classrooms in Kellock convince me, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the programme has indeed made a difference to what our girls now view as viable careers in STEM, especially in the area of engineering. From Charlotte, who “learnt the importance of using (your) creativity and imagination to solve problems” to Christine, who “learnt that building a foundation is most important, be it studies or in building and architecture”, it is evident from pupils' responses that beyond just having fun, the programme has also impacted them in more ways than one."
- Teacher, CHIJ Kellock School
Parents and friends of Girls2Pioneers can look forward to more day camps in schools and family service centers; as well as field trips in places such as Arup, Microsoft, Bloomberg and many more!
For further enquiries, visit our website at http://www.girls2pioneers.org.
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