Children are being asked what their ideal STEM career is as part of a national competition to help smash gender stereotypes about careers using science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Australia’s Women in STEM Ambassador Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith this week launched the ‘Create Your Future You’ competition.
The competition asks children aged 8-12 years to consider their ideal STEM career and explain how they would change the world for the better using these skills.
STEM and gender stereotypes
Prof Harvey-Smith said children as young as six years old are influenced by gender stereotypes which can impact their interest in STEM and by 10-14 years the STEM gap between girls and boys widens.
“We know the 8-12 year age group is critical to longer term interest in STEM careers,” she said.
“The perception that some STEM fields are a better fit for boys is one of the biggest barriers to girls pursuing STEM studies. We need to overcome these stereotypes early and show all children in this age group that STEM is an exciting and rewarding career for everyone.”
Children’s perceptions of STEM jobs as being for women, or women and men equally, improved after engaging with the Future You platform, Prof Harvey-Smith said.
Competition winners
The two most inventive and exciting entries will win a STEM prize pack and have their character featured on the Future You website.
The diverse Future You role models represent jobs that people may not realise require STEM skills including Blake the farmer, Grace the game designer, Noah the nurse and Mirra, the Moon to Mars Mission Director.
Create your Future You competition can be found at https://www.womeninstem.org.au/futureyou/
The competition runs until 11 April 2021.
