Fascinating Science! STEM Role Models

The future needs STEM. STEM needs role models. The AKC builds bridges – for more equal opportunities in STEM.

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Role Models from STEM Careers

Since 2020, the Working Group on Equal Opportunities (AKC) of the German Physical Society (DPG) has been organizing the webinar series "Fascinating Science! STEM Role Models." The project emerged as a response to COVID-19 pandemic: schools and students needed digital offerings, and we wanted to build bridges – to female scientists and professionals who can show where a career in STEM and ICT can lead.

What We Offer

Our free webinars are aimed at school girls – and boys from grade 6 onwards as well as female students in their early university semesters. In each session, one or more women from research, industry, or technology development introduce themselves. They report on:

  • their career path and daily work
  • challenges and successes in their profession
  • concrete insights into STEM and ICT fields – and their real world applications

The webinars take place live online. All recordings are permanently available on our YouTube channel – as a resource for classroom use or for individual viewing.

The Network

The project is supported by a strong network of scientific and educational institutions:

  • Working Group on Equal Opportunities of the German Physical Society (AKC of DPG) – Project lead and coordinator
  • Max Planck Institute for Microstructure Physics, Halle (MPI) – Excursions, talks, and insights into cutting-edge research
  • Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) – Academic support and university connection
  • Halle Student Lab (HaSP) of MLU – Hands-on experiments for students on site
  • Working Group on Equal Opportunities of the German Chemical Society (AKC of GDCh) – Adoption of the webinar format for chemistry

These partnerships allow us to connect theory and practice: from digital webinars to lab visits to direct insights into the research work of major institutes.

Our Approach: Making Role Models Visible

Numerous studies show that female role models play a crucial role in inspiring girls to pursue STEM subjects and showing them career paths in technology. This is exactly where our project starts. We bring real role models directly to the students – authentic, relatable, and inspiring.

Topics and Formats So Far

The webinars cover a broad spectrum – from classical physics to materials science, data science, and applied technology development. Depending on the availability of speakers and the interest of schools, we design the formats flexibly:

  • Individual 45- to 60-minute webinars
  • Topical series over multiple sessions
  • In combination with school project days
  • Visits to the Halle Student Lab for hands-on experiments
  • Excursions to the Max Planck Institute for Microstructure Physics

Accompanying Surveys

To understand the impact of our work, we regularly conduct short surveys among participants. The feedback helps us improve our offering. Initial evaluations show that the majority of students find the webinars motivating – and that gender-based prejudices unfortunately still pose a barrier.

Participation and Involvement

Would you like to participate with your school class?

Send us an email. We will then discuss together which format and which speakers suit your students.

Are you a woman in STEM or ICT and would like to serve as a role model?

We are continuously looking for speakers for our webinar series. You can participate once or on a regular basis. Write to us – with your region and your field of activity.

Contact:  

Further Links

Photo: Ruzin Aganoglu