Skirting Science Success

On Thursday Churchill Academy welcomed 200 Year 9 girls from 12 schools to Skirting Science which aims to widen girls’ appreciation of scientific careers.

The day started with a keynote speech from Civil Engineer Christine Ramshaw who gave the girls a glimpse into her career, taking her all around the world.  She has changed people’s lives by designing and constructing huge projects such as shopping centres, roads and railways.

The girls then split into 16 hands on workshops where they explored a great variety of topics. Girls tested eyes, made air rockets or designed plane cabins. They built calculators and robots, extracted their own DNA and separated blood. Others diagnosed diseases, tested water purity and solved crimes. They designed and made flood resilient homes, cardboard chairs and lava lamps. Some experimented with chemical molecules, analysed their voices and used pro-bots to explore the human genome.  Science, Maths and Engineering subjects are a gateway into a vast range of careers and Skirting Science provided a glimpse into the many opportunities.

The day was organised with Weston-super-Mare Soroptimist International. Soroptimists inspire action to transform the lives of women and girls around the world. The UK lags behind other European countries in the number of women in Scientific and STEM careers. Skirting Science provides practical way of inspiring girls.

Chris Hildrew, Headteacher commented, “As a school passionate about gender equality and STEM, we are proud to host Skirting Science to promote and inspire the next generation of female scientists and engineers.”