Girls 4 STEM Pilot Project Open to Applications
The aim of this pilot project is to promote and teach Science, Engineering, Technology and Maths subjects (STEM) to girls in attractive and engaging ways, with a view to addressing the ongoing skills gap in the STEM sectors within the EU and especially the shortfall of women and increasing STEM drop-out rates of girls. The underlying rationale is also to empower girls to learn and encourage them to become leaders in tech.
This aim will be achieved through a two-fold action. Firstly, a network of schools, universities, high education institutions and companies will be set up. It will serve as a platform to support the advancement of girls in STEM education and careers, to exchange best practices and to raise awareness of girls all over Europe concerning the full spectrum of education and training options. Secondly, no-cost summer camps for 13-18 year-old girls (typically 1 or 2 weeks long) will be designed to introduce middle and high school girls to a broad range of STEM subjects, in particular software engineering principles and programming languages.
The experiences and insights collected in the course of the summer camps and other actions will be used by the network to provide recommendations and a set of ready-to-use guidelines available for reproduction of the events at local level.
The following types of activities are eligible under this call:
The summer camps featuring experiments, field trips and lab-based activities to show work in science, technology, engineering and math careers.
Teaching the principles of software engineering: algorithms, structure of programmes, computer systems.
Teaching how to code, with a focus on real tools (such as Python, Ruby, Javascript, HTML, CSS , or any other relevant).
Recruiting preferably female STEM teachers for the camps, to act as role models.
Awareness-raising events organised by the network members (social media/traditional media campaigns to highlight the need for girls in STEM, workshops to inform parents, teachers and female audience about the full spectrum of education and training options, days of Open Doors, school visits).
Deliverable: ready-to-use packaged guidance on the organisation of STEM camps, easily reproducible by other partners at local level.
Report on activities carried out with best practice described and recommendations for further action.
Conferences, seminars.
Training activities.
Awareness and dissemination actions.
Actions aiming at the creation and improvement of networks, exchanges of good practices.
Studies, analyses, mapping projects.
The following types of applicants are targeted by this call for proposals:
ICT companies.
Companies with technical departments and technical training facilities.
Universities and research centres.
Secondary schools with science curricula.
Institutions and organisations organizing STEM extra-curricular activities.
Other actors.
In order to be eligible, a proposal must be submitted by a consortium composed of at least two legal entities from different countries.
Proposals may be submitted by any of the following applicants, if established in an EU Member State or EFTA and EEA country:
Non-profit organisation (private or public).
Public authorities (national, regional, local).
International organisations.
Universities.
Educational institutions.
Research centres.
Profit making entities.
Natural persons.
The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects under this call for proposals is estimated at €350.000. The Commission expects to fund one proposal.
Applications must be submitted by 27 August 2019.
More information about this funding opportunity and the application process is available on the GRANTfinder funding information platform. GRANTfinder provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on funding news and policy. To find out more about how GRANTfinder can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.
