Celebrate women in science, technology, engineering and maths
11 February is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science
International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February is a special day created by the UN to celebrate girls and women across the world who have a role in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
A big gender gap in STEM still exists across the world. Even though women are doing amazing work to close the gap, lots of work still need to be done. Our 2021 Girls’ Attitude Survey showed us that one in five (19%) girls aged 7 to 10 who are interested in STEM subjects say they’re teased for it and a third (34%) of girls and young women aged 7 to 21 think there’s a lack of women in the STEM subjects.
We know that girls and women in STEM are always doing amazing things and should be lifted up all year round. So inspire members in your unit to learn skills in science, technology, engineering and maths with fun guiding activities and science-based activities.
Innovate skills builder
In unit meetings, members can get stuck into the Innovate skills builder, which is focused specifically on STEM subjects. There’s everything from experimenting in Stage 1 to learning about how skyscrapers are built in Stage 3 to delving into the depths of the human mind in Stage 6.
Unit meeting activities
Bring science, technology, engineering and maths into your unit meetings with some of our favourite activities. Clever chemicals, in packs 9 and 10 of Skills for my future, gives girls the chance to become scientists, carry out experiments and discover how chemistry is all around us.
Magnificent machines looks at the technology behind some amazing machines that help us in everyday life and gets girls to become inventors and engineers to create their own machines. You’ll find activities in Skills for my Future packs 6, 7 and 8.
Or your unit could explore space and find out what astronauts do in Out of this world, which you can find in Have Adventures packs 6, 7 and 8.
There are lots of activities available in these packs. Learn more about some of the activities available for each section below.
Rainbows
It’s never too early to start learning about STEM subjects. Rainbows can have a go at a science experiment to create the perfect warming drink in Dis-solve-it and use their skills to improve familiar machines in Everyday inventors. They could even design their own rocket by launching a straw-made one into the air and seeing whose can get highest in Blast off.
Brownies
Almost a fifth (18%) of girls aged 7 to 10 think that there aren’t enough women in STEM. Challenge perceptions with Magical mixtures, Brownies can experiment with chemical reactions, or see if they have some of the skills needed to be an astronaut with Skills in space.
Inspire young members to reach new heights with the Vortex activity. Ask your Brownies if they know what a vortex is, get them to create their own air cannon and find out how vortexes help planes fly.
Guides
Get Guides to challenge their inner scientist in Rainbow challenge or get them exploring how robotics can mimic human actions and test out their engineering skills by building their own bionic hand in Bionic body parts.
Guides can learn about space too in Solar simulations. They’ll be finding out how the sun works by making a lava lamp and creating a scientific eruption.
Rangers
Only one in three (37%) girls and young women aged 7 to 21 would consider doing a job in technology.
In Engineer your future, Rangers can discover the engineering design process and create a machine prototype and in Ranger rovers they can design a prototype robot.
If they want to try out chemistry, they could have a go at Sticky solutions by experimenting with making their own glue.
Interest badges
If young members want to investigate STEM subjects further, they can have a go at interest badges. Rainbows could have a go at the Nature and Construction badges and Brownies could try out Space, Aviation and Inventing. Guides could do the Natural remedies and Fixing badges and Rangers could try the Genealogy and Digital design interest badges.
