Women in STEM
The first of our ‘Women in STEM’ sessions was held in April. This new initiative aims to show that women have an equal place in the science world and to celebrate the many STEM achievements of St Benedict’s girls.
The first ‘Women in STEM’ session took place on Wednesday 26th April. Two A-level science students – Natalia and Alice (Upper Sixth) – gave a presentation to all St Benedict’s girls in Form 3 and Lower Fourth (Years 7 and 8): they focused on the uptake and representation of women in Maths, Physics and Computer Science in the workplace, and gave examples of how we raise awareness and ambition amongst our younger students – such as regular presentations, the student-led Engineering Society, and our participation in the UK Mathematical Olympiad for Girls. They also inspired the girls to think about the possible routes which can result from studying STEM subjects.
We were delighted that Antonia Sewell (OP 20) joined us virtually from Edinburgh University to talk about her Computer Science course, and how she discovered her talent and enthusiasm for coding at St Benedict's.
Group discussions followed, which explored why only 23% of women go into Maths, Computer Science and Physics in the workplace.