GIRLS IN STEAM ACADEMY 2022 – BridgeSTEAM

Youth Makerspace Larnaka hosted the Girls in STEAM Academy for another year with the #BridgeSTEAM program. It is a non-profit initiative that aims to bridge the gap of women’s representation in jobs in the STEAM disciplines. The Girls in STEAM Academy is an initiative of the Be an Ally Foundation, led by Panagiota Polykarpou and Anastasia Liopetritis.

On December 3rd & 4th, 20 girls aged 14-16 attended programming workshops and learned to make their websites. They met female role models in STEAM fields and had the opportunity to chat with the girls about their careers, how they got here, what their daily lives look like, and what advice they would give their younger selves. In addition, the participants learned about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and specifically about Goal #5 – Gender equality in an environment of trust and mutual understanding.

Despite girls outperforming boys in digital literacy, women account for only 17% of people studying and working in ICT (Information and Communication Technology) fields in the EU and only 36% of STEM graduates. This is mainly a result of gender stereotypes that prevent girls from reaching their full potential. We are delighted that for another year, the Youth Makerspace has helped the Girls in Steam Academy to reduce the barriers that often prevent young girls from developing an interest in careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.

For more: https://steamacademycy.org/