Webinars

Enhancing the E in STEM in secondary schools

“We see a lot of girls getting into the sciences... we are almost on par with gender equity. But I want to see more girls get into the engineering space. And that is what I'll continue to work at achieving. I've noticed that by the time girls reach Year 7, they have already decided that STEM is not for them. So, we need to reach out to them earlier, and show them just how diverse the field is.”

Experienced STEM teacher Veena Nair will explore some of the strategies undertaken at her school to promote STEM subjects and areas like engineering to girls in particular.

Presenter: Veena Nair

Girls in Game Design

Did you know that 46% of gamers in Australia Identify as women? Originally seen as a male-dominated industry, we are starting to see many games made for girls by girls, or women in leading roles in larger studios. The industry calls for many different skills – creative and technical – in fact there are opportunities for a diversity of different sets of skills. In this webinar, two women who work in the industry will talk about what they do and the learning choices and opportunities that have supported their work in games design and development.

Presenters: Phoebe Watson & Madeleine Clute

Leverage the E in STEM in primary schools

“Young children are natural engineers. They're very creative, they can follow directions, they naturally want to learn about their environment, they are very curious. They'll explore, they'll build, they'll construct and that's all part of engineering.”

Professor Lyn English will explore some of the learning affordances of early engineering experiences and how they integrate meaningfully and naturally within early STEM and STEAM curricula in primary schools in Australia including within Maths and in the innovative design-based problem-solving featured within the Design and Technologies Curriculum.

Presenters: Lyn English

Making a difference – Working in the clean energy sector

A third of Australia’s electricity already is generated by renewables. Over the next 30 years, new wind and solar farms, batteries, rooftop solar installations, and hydro projects will need to be built. This webinar will explore the working lives, school and career pathways of two young women who have opted to work in the clean energy sector. It is designed to give secondary students insights into careers in this sector and the opportunity to ask questions.

Presenters: Kirsten Lee and Brianna Fenton.

Pathways to careers in space

This webinar focuses on the experiences of two women who have studied and worked in the space industry. Careers in space are vast, varied and the Australian space sector is thriving. Find out more about what a job in this sector might look like.

Dr Vienna Tran, a medical doctor, has a dream to pursue a road less travelled: space medicine. She is a Designated Aviation Medical Examiner and has worked for the Australian Space Agency. She has published research on the use artificial gravity to maintain the muscle health of astronauts.

Tully Mahr aspired to be an astronaut right through her secondary schooling; her recent acceptance into an internship at NASA has brought her closer to her goals than ever before. Tully is a Gundungurra woman interested in bridging Indigenous knowledge with advanced engineering concepts.

Make Maths matter for girls

Bring Science alive for girls

How do you engage and sustain girls’ interest in secondary Science and associated subjects?

This practical webinar will focus on the experiences of two teachers with some practical strategies that focus on motivating, engaging and sustaining interest.

Presenters: Adele Hudson and Meg Bailey 

Tracking student choices – barriers and motivations for choosing STEM subjects

What are the factors that encourage students to choose STEM subjects and careers? Professor Louise Archer from University College London will report on the UK-based ASPIRES project which has tracked how and why young people come to see science as being ‘for me’, or not, with the goal of informing policy and practice to support increased and more equitable participation in STEM.

Find out more about how your school might adjust practices and teaching approaches/content to attract and retain students in Science and Science-related subjects.

Presenter: Professor Louise Archer

Facilitated by: Mel Isaacs

Space resources to inspire girls in your classes

Join us as we explored amazing space education resources and programs offered around Australia. Presenters from the Australian Space Discovery Centre and the Victorian Space Science Education Centre shared their programs, learning resources and some of the exciting opportunities for young women interested in a space industry career.

Engaging girls in STEM at secondary school

The GiST's first webinar included a great discussion with Leanne Robertson (The GiST Program Director), Adele Hudson (Head of Faculty - Science at Aitken College) and Abigail, a senior student at the school, about how to use The GiST within a school as a professional learning tool, the benefits of running STEM groups for girls and how to overcome roadblocks within STEM pursuits.