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Women in STEM event - Millais School, Horsham

 February 08 2017 | Sussex | Views: 2179

Millais School is a single sex (girls) school in Horsham, West Sussex. The school are rated outstanding by Ofsted, and they are also a lead school of the Sussex Science Learning Partnership (SLP). The school are enthusiastic about STEM engagement and utilise STEM Ambassadors on a regular basis.

Following a popular ‘careers speed dating’ session in 2016, the SLP lead at the school approached STEM Sussex to run a collaborative networking event based on the ‘People Like Me’ resource, open to teachers from local schools, STEM Ambassadors, girls studying at Millais and their parents. Nearly 100 people attended, all with the shared goal of inspiring girls at the school in the wide range of career options open to them.

The event kicked off with a ‘speed dating’ session for girls in year 8 and 9, giving them the opportunity to speak to women working in a variety of STEM roles and quiz them about their career pathway, prior to selecting their choices for subjects to study at GCSE.

Following this, teachers, students from other year groups and their parents joined to take part in the ‘People Like Me’ workshop; with all attendees completing a personality analysis quiz which suggests careers in STEM areas which may suit them. Students were then given the opportunity to chat informally to the role models in the room sharing their attributes; people ‘just like them’. Many of the attending adults were surprised at how well the results matched their careers, and students were able to think about their strengths in a completely different way.

The event concluded with talks from two STEM Ambassadors – an academic lecturer, and a pilot – who both highlighted how their jobs utilise their skills, followed by enthusiastic questions from both students and parents in the audience, many of whom were inspired by the enjoyment and passion shown by the STEM Ambassadors for their respective careers.


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