A new program designed to inspire primary school students, especially girls, to see themselves working in STEM has launched this week.
Future You, an initiative of the federal government’s Women in STEM Ambassador Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith, is an online resource that uses short stories and dramatised podcasts with diverse role models to help change perceptions around STEM careers.
The program comes after recent government research found 40 per cent of girls between the ages of 14 and 17 thought they were not smart enough to study STEM.
“Future You aims to break down stereotypes and help all children, their parents, and teachers, to understand that STEM is for everyone,” Professor Harvey-Smith said.
“By engaging children early in Future You, we hope to help future-proof our younger generations for the jobs of tomorrow, where it’s predicted that half of workers will need to know how to use, build and configure digital systems – a critical skill embedded in STEM studies.”
The program includes a series of short films called Pathfinders, exploring the career pathways of women working in exciting roles in STEM. The first season features augmented reality expert and proud Cabrogal woman Mikaela Jade, heavy vehicle mechanic Louise Azzopardi, aerospace engineer and proud Tharawal woman Renee Wootton and Taronga Zoo’s Dr Phoebe Meagher, a conservationist and leading authority on Australia’s shark life.
“I pursued a STEM career because I fell in love with the beauty of the night sky. And that’s what we want younger generations to do, be inspired by the world around them and the understanding that STEM is everywhere,” Professor Harvey-Smith said.
“Engaging early in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics creates so many possibilities and means our children can contribute to a better world. STEM is for everyone, and there are so many pathways to get there.”
The Future You website hosts a range of resources like films, graphic art, competitions, fiction, short stories, podcasts, songs and other activities that can be used at home or in school. It also has teaching resources and career advice packs for teachers, schools and families.
The resources are story-centric, designed to help children imagine themselves working in STEM-related job in the future.
The Census revealed the large skills gap Australia currently has in STEM and the persistent gender gap that persists across the sector. For example, in the ICT industry, just 1 in 5 professionals and managers are women.
Meanwhile, the number of students studying physics in the HSC has dropped to its lowest in 20 years, and there has been no increase in the number of girls studying the subject in the last decade.