Girl Power in STEM

During the mid-year holidays, 30 Year 9 girls were selected from schools around Victoria to participate in a “Girl Power in STEM” camp at The University of Melbourne, aiming to get more girls in STEM fields. Layla Maitri from Northcote High was selected. The camp focused on Engineering and IT, with students participating in coding and programming workshops, tours of the University’s engineering labs, and insights into the different forms of engineering. The camp taught the group about all the different forms of engineering and how they are applied in the workforce. They met other women in the engineering field, from Year 11 to having already been in the workforce for some years. They talked about their experiences and gave advice. The camp was run over three and a half days. During that time, the students were put into groups to make a video covering why they thought there are gender imbalances in STEM fields, why more girls should participate in STEM subjects and how programs like the “Girl Power in STEM” program helps tackle these issues. The program is run over four years, with a camp in Year 9, work experience in Year 10 and mentoring for students in Years 11 and 12. Overall, it was a fantastic and unique experience for the students to meet like- minded peers and engage in such a variety of different activities and workshops.