Girls at St Sampson’s High were invited to join a global learning community as part of EY’s STEM App.
EY’s Head of Marketing and Business Development, Margo Blondel introduced the app to girls in years 9 and 10 during a launch seminar held on 29 March 2023.
Women are grossly underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) university courses and occupations. This is a problem because it limits the pool of talent and perspectives in these fields, which in turn can result in missed opportunities for innovation and progress.
It also reinforces gender stereotypes and biases, contributing to a lack of diversity and equality in the workforce.
The EY STEM App was developed by global EY teams in collaboration with SkillsVR, an organisation dedicated to developing potential talent through immersive learning. The app is a gamified mobile platform aimed at girls aged 13-18 and is free to download. It features engaging and educational content from well-known institutions, such as NASA, Stanford, UNESCO, and World Economic Forum, all framed for younger users.
Margo explained: “EY designed the app to provide equal access and opportunities for women in STEM education and careers. The app aims to empower girls to explore and embrace the world of STEM. It’s fantastic to be able to provide this out-of-school learning resource in the Channel Islands to ignite local girls’ passion for STEM subjects and have a better understanding of the career opportunities available to them.”
Naomi Weysom, acting Head of Science at St Sampson’s High, added: “We were delighted to welcome EY to launch the STEM ap with our students. We always appreciate the links with local businesses and the opportunity to inspire students for future careers.”
EY STEM features an incentivised learning model, meaning students accumulate points for every step they complete and build their rewards wallets. These points can then be redeemed for fun rewards, such as digital vouchers; important rewards at the digital reading library, or lasting rewards, including charity
donations.
Students can choose from over 450 activities of engaging, straightforward, and educational content. To receive points to earn rewards the girls are required to watch videos, read articles, interview community members, answer questions and conduct experiments, all of which they can complete in teams or as an
individual.
There are currently nearly 90 girls in the Channel Islands that have registered to use the app. Last year the app was launched at Jersey College for Girls and subject matter teachers at Ladies’ College have also been promoting the use of the app. EY is continuing to speak to other local schools about how the app can support their students’ learning. If any students, parents, carers or teachers would like to access the app they can contact Margo via email for their access code.
