Girls Stem in High Tea

The following is a small snapshot of the overall Girls in STEM High Tea report:

The Mater Dei Catholic College Girls in STEM High Tea 2024 program was created to encourage and engage Year 9 girls in STEM pathways. The day focused on building transferable skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and creativity whilst gaining a glimpse into STEM careers. Year 9 students, 40 from Mater Dei Catholic College, 20 from The Riverina Anglican College and 21 from Kildare Catholic College were supported by over 30 industry mentors from the Riverina, Brisbane and Canberra to complete STEM based challenges. It is important to note that the students participating from TRAC and Kildare were already interested in a STEM pathway. 

Students completed pre and post surveys and were asked if they would choose Science Technology Engineering Art and Mathematics (STEAM) based subjects in Years 11 and 12. The initial response from students was strong (with 46.4% of students stating yes), however there was a 29.7% improvement, with 76.1% of students stating yes from the post-survey. This would suggest that the guest speakers, mentoring, challenge and teacher guidance throughout the day supported this improvement.

Students were also asked if they could see themselves working in a STEM related field in the future. Interestingly, based on the pre-survey results, approximately 39.1% of the students could see themselves working in the field yet approximately 46.4% of students found that they would choose STEAM related subjects in Stage 6. Post-survey results showed a 38.5% increase in the students ability to see themselves moving into a STEM related field in the future. Some of the students responses that supported this increase were:

“I’ve been exposed to so many different pathways and opportunities for my future. All the amazing women I’ve met today gave me hope and a sense of purpose. I’ve been inspired to reach out and to test my capabilities out in the real world and I feel less afraid in working towards my future career.”

“I think that after getting a lot of different points of views I now understand the job range related to STEM and it can be fun if you find the thing you are most passionate about”

“Lots of careers these days have STEM in them which I didn't realise before today.”

“I think I would work in a STEM related job in the future because I like the thought of it helping you in the future in many different categories , and you learn many different things through your stem.”

“I feel like today has brought my attention to many things. I have further explored STEM and noticed I don't need the brains to do STEM. STEM has a variety of things to explore and endless opportunities.”

“I DIDN'T realise how many careers actually revolve around STEM/STEAM and I definitely think today’s activities have been an eye opener.”

“After seeing and hearing about all of these amazing women it has really inspired me more that a STEM based career is a really good path to go down because it leads to other opportunities that you could have possibly not been able to do.”

Year 9 Students

In conclusion, the aim of the Girls in STEM High Tea, to promote and encourage future STEM pathways for Stage 5 girls was successfully achieved based on the positive feedback provided by  students, staff and mentors. It is recommended that the MDCC Girls in STEM High Tea continue in future years. 

A special thank you to esteemed guest speakers:

• Ms Olga Hansen, National Coordinator Cool Aeronautics, Royal Aeronautical Society Australian Division
• Ms Lily Warick, Flight Lieutenant, Air Force Energy Transition
• Mrs Gioia Portolan Gianniotis, Registered Architect and Principal of GPG Architecture
• Ms Caren Elliot, 4th Year Electrical Apprentice, Transgrid

Thank you also to Stacey Suidgeest, Senior Project Officer, Regional Industry Educational Partnerships, Training Services NSW, Department of Education and Training for her organisation and support in creating this wonderful event.

Thank you to the wonderful mentors for their mentorship of the students and their ongoing support:

Little Triffids Flowers Floristry Workshop

Year 9 students honed their floral design skills at a workshop led by Sophie, owner of Little Triffid Flowers, Wagga Wagga. The stunning arrangements crafted by the students served as the elegant centrepieces for the MDCC Girls in STEM High Tea event. 

Mrs Courtney Freebody  |  Leader of Learning - Digital Technology and STEM