The College of Engineering and Physical Sciences ran the second annual 'Girls in STEM Day' at the University on 17 September for Year 9 girls from local schools.
Over 200 students attended from 12 local schools this year. Designed to be an inspiring day of interactive activities, talks and tours to encourage female pupils to continue studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, this event is part of the University of Birmingham's pledge to the Your Life campaign which aims to encourage young people, especially young women, to study Maths and Physics.
With involvement from staff and students from across the College, the day was opened by Dr. Ceri who provided insight into her work at the Central Laser Facility as well as general information on STEM careers.
Eleven hour-long workshops were organised by University staff and covered a wide range of STEM topics from cancer research to gravitational waves and fuel cells. Girls were also taken on a tour of the campus by current students, providing opportunity to hear about the ‘real-life’ student experience.
Kat Grover, School Liaison and Outreach Officer said: "We were delighted with the success of the Girls in STEM day this year. Feedback was extremely positive with 87% of the attendees rating their day as "Excellent" or "Good" and 68% saying they were more likely to study STEM subjects in the future."