Back to Role Models in Tech
If you’ve developed or delivered an activity to encourage girls and women to consider studying digital technology subjects (including computing, cyber etc.), please add your initiative to our database.
Lead partner organisation type
University
Description
The project involved interviewing over 60 women in data-driven roles (mostly STEM, data science, and interdisciplinary studies) in Scotland to create profiles of their work; specifically their achievements, journeys to, and reflections on their work. These reflections were focused on issues of gender equality in data science. These profiles formed a campaign internal and external to the University of Edinburgh called the Women in Data campaign to spark discussion on issues of gender equality in data - and more broadly in the current and future data-driven fourth industrial revolution, where Scotland are leaders - and to raise the profile of women as inventors, pioneers, leaders, innovators, and experts in this work.
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Student population
41312
Delivery of activity
Interviews and profile-creation took 9 months, followed by the Women in Data campaign itself; releasing profiles over a series of weeks. To launch the campaign, a Women in Data session was organised at the annual Data Driven Innovation conference in 2019. DDI was proud to make the Women in Data session the core session of the conference, with hundreds in attendance as well as the press. Prolific feminist campaigner and data expert, Caroline Criado Perez in Edinburgh, delivered a keynote speech on the subject of sexist bias in data, followed by a panel with our campaign participants, followed by a speech by the Women in Data campaign lead, Poppy Gerrard-Abbott, to introduce the Women in Data campaign. Initial profiles were included in conference literature. Following on from this launch event, profiles were released in a staggered way, in batches on the DDI website every week over the final 3 months of the project (12 overall). The project was then bookended with a public report, approaching the interviews as research and discussing the findings: https://ddi.ac.uk/report-showcases-world-of-work-for-women-in-data/ The report and profiles are permanently based on the DDI website for the public to access. Several articles and blogs, including pieces written internally at DDI and externally by mainstream news journalists, have also been written on the Women in Data campaign: https://ddi.ac.uk/women-in-data/the-journey-of-the-ddi-women-in-data-campaign/
Leadership
Poppy Gerrard-Abbott, PhD on sexual and gender-based violence in UK universities (lead) Professor Judy Robertson, chair in digital learning (academic supervisor) Mark Baillie, DDI (DDI communications manager)
Environment
In our institution, In school(s), 3rd party festival (e.g. science festival, Demofest), Online, Other: Social media, mainstream journalism, science and data festivals in Edinburgh, internal circulation in the organisations/companies the women participants are/were a part of.
Activity type
Marketing materials, Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A, Workshop / interactive demos
Role model roles
The interviewees were the role models in the Women in Data campaign. The work involved for them related to being interviewed by the Women in Data lead, Poppy Gerrard-Abbott, and then sharing their profiles in their own organisations/companies using email and social media. Some of the participants also took part in an all-women panel at the Women in Data campaign launch event, of which the questions and talking points were drawn from the campaign. This panel was chaired by Caroline Criado Perez after she delivered a keynote speech.
Role model profiles
The interviewees were the role models. They were students, PhDs, researchers, academics, readers, professors, politicians (including Members of the Scottish Parliament MSPs), analysts, businesswomen, entrepreneurs, consultants, scientists, inventors, teachers, directors, CEOs, principals, and other professionals in data-driven roles in Scotland, with a few UK-wide profiles with historical or current ties to Scotland (such as being Scottish or being educated in Scotland). Some profiles were individual and some represented a society, collective or club. We worked hard to ensure intersectionality, capturing a diversity of women and girls in terms of age, class, ethnicity, sector, seniority, maternity status, occupation, education, and background (many profiles highlighted non-traditional routes, such as not going to university).
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
To raise the profile of women and gender equality issues in data-driven work in Scotland.
Target audience of activity
1. Primarily, women and girls in Scotland (however, it is naturally beyond Scotland, because the digital basis of the campaign allows cross-national and global access). 2. Secondly, raising the profile of women's contributions and voices in data-driven work within the data field itself.
Inclusion
University comms, DDI social media, the Women in Data conference session, journalistic articles, participants sharing the campaign in their own networks, which included the Scottish Government and peer support/mentorship networks for women and girls
Audience/participants
Unsure of the question, apologies.
Costs/resources
Circa £15k
Evaluation
Impact and evaluation work was limited due to the campaign being a permanent feature of the DDI website, and due to the funding and Women in Data lead position being fixed-term. However, throughout the period we were launching and releasing the profiles, the DDI communications teams collected digital analytics, which saw the Women in Data pages receiving top website traffic. DDI also received positive feedback from participants, their networks, and conference attendees.
Tips
In your opinion, was the initiative a success? Yes, a) digital and b) peer get-togethers, such as conferences, are everything. What would you do differently in future? Contribute more to defining the parameters of data science as the field is in its infancy and definitions of it are evolving. See the issue you are discussing/tackling as 'live' and use your project to carve out your own influence and leadership. A challenge for us was that data science intersects and overlaps with a broad diversity of sectors, industries, and disciplines. You have to draw the line somewhere and be able to justify that line. What would you recommend others did? I.e., your top tips. Ensure you have a crystalised aim, target audience, and remits in your team - such simple points but these are SO simple and fundamental, they are more than often forgotten. Finally, and above all, keep it simple.
Next steps
Over a year on, a podcast will be released by DDI via Spotify, consisting of a conversation between the Women in Data lead, Poppy Gerrard-Abbott, and Dr Alison Schrager, a risk expert. This podcast aims to revisit and revive the themes of the Women in Data campaign, ensuring that vital and ever-emerging discussion on gender continues in fields like data, economics, entrepreneurship, and policy-making. As already mentioned, the Women in Data campaign has a permanent space on the DDI website and is sometimes revisited via the DDI's social media channels. Participants have stayed in touch with us and each other.
Lead partner organisation type
University
Description
Following a personal approach by a teacher at a local primary school, a group of three staff visited two local primary schools for their science week. We visited 4 large groups (split by age) and in each we delivered a general talk and some demonstrations to smaller subsets of the larger group.
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Student population
14000
Student population (Computing/digital department)
550
Delivery of activity
One-off, June 2019
Leadership
Lecturer in Computing Science
Environment
In school(s)
Activity type
Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A, Workshop / interactive demos
Role model roles
Three staff were involved: a male lecturer, a female prof and a male post-doctoral researcher. The male lecturer gave the overview talk, and the everyone gave a small group demo. We ensured the delivering group included a woman but there was no additional role assigned.
Role model profiles
A senior member of female staff (a prof). The other group members were male (lecturer, and researcher). The group was self-selected (the leader had asked for volunteers to attend the schools). The woman volunteered to be sure there was at least one woman present. No special intersectional characteristics considered, or were particularly relevant in the setting. The schools were primary schools, so we were not close in age (the nearest would be the researcher, who was 12 years older than some participants).
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, Other: to foster connections with the local schools
Strategic aim of activity
Equality Outcomes at institutional level, Athena SWAN aspirations at institutional level. Specific gender targets for our subject
Target audience of activity
Primary school children from 7-11. No - it was not specifically aimed at girls/women. The group was mixed girls and boys. Rural schools – the sessions involved whole classes, so there was no additional selection. Diversity was very limited given the target schools (less ethnic diversity in rural Scotland than urban).
Inclusion
Care was taken to pitch the talks at a simple level as some children were so young. We used practical, visual demonstrations of three computing topics: programming in Scratch, disease modelling (visual), and computer-stimulated muscle movements. The specific strategy was to support our local rural schools. We visited them, at their convenience.
Audience/participants
There were 3 classes in 2 different schools. A group of a dozen 7-9 year olds A group of six 10-11 year olds A group of thirty 9-11 year olds
Costs/resources
Not costed, but staff time of 3 days (3 people, 0.5 day delivery, 0.5 day preparation). It was funded indirectly as an outreach activity of the department, but that was not costed, for example, in a workload model (so it was essentially in the staff free time).
Evaluation
Informal evaluation – the teachers asked the students at the time, and they all said they’d enjoyed the session. No formal evaluation.
Tips
Yes it was a success, but it was isolated. I think for the future such visits should be part of a planned series of engagements – but we lack the resource for that.
Next steps
No
Lead partner organisation type
University
Description
Tech fun was a collection of interactive demos for young women to have a go with technology in a fun atmosphere, with pizza and icecream. The sessions were also linked to talks, organised by Edinburgh Napier’s Athena Swan Team and Equate, which featured prominent women in STEM
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Student population
20000
Student population (Computing/digital department)
1600
Delivery of activity
Annual, in a series of 4 (2 of which are described here); The Tech Fun day took place on Ada Lovelace Day (2nd Tuesday of October) 2016 to 2019. This entry more specifically describes the 2018 and 2019 events. The events were not attached to projects, though they were associated with talks organised by Edinburgh Napier’s Athena Swan Team and Equate.
Leadership
A senior research fellow in the school of computing, with support from a professor in the SoC and Equate.
Environment
In our institution
Activity type
Workshop / interactive demos
Role model roles
We tried to use as many women students and staff as possible as part of the event. Women were doing the interactive demonstrations and also hosting tasks, such as welcoming.
Role model profiles
Female students studying STEM subjects; female computing staff (lecturers and research fellows). Students were recruited via Equate. Intersectionality characteristics were not considered -being on the payroll or able to complete the forms to get on the payroll were the important factors. The students were about 5 years older than the visiting school girls. Staff were recruited according to their skills, availability and willingness to take part. While we tried to involve women where possible, we also had male helpers (staff and students).
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment, Other: celebrate women in computing; welcome young women into the university
Strategic aim of activity
Relevant institutional strategies: • to develop a deep connection to the world around us (Strategy 2020); • to promote diversity in our student and staff community (Strategy 2020); • Edinburgh Napier University: Gender Action Plan Note that these were not explicitly referenced during the planning of the Tech Fun days.
Target audience of activity
The initiative was specifically aimed at girls/ women in secondary schools, though some girls from primary school came too and were very welcome. Age was not specified; nor any intersectional characteristics.
Inclusion
The event was marketed at all secondary schools in the city by sending piles of postcards that girls could pick up, as well as emailing staff and promoting via social media.
Audience/participants
2018: about 40 girls attended from 13 schools; 2019: 38 girls from 9 schools (7 secondary; 2 primary) As the only inclusion characteristics targeted was to be female, the attendees were aligned with this.
Costs/resources
The costs for each event were about £1000 from the SoC Public Engagement budget. This included: student demonstrators; ice cream; other drinks and snacks (including pizza); taxis for helpers; van hire; printing ands posting promotional postcards. Other resources: university space and staff time were provided free to the event. About 20 people were involved in the delivery, plus catering and printing. Student helpers were paid for their time. Organisation took a great deal of time -possibly the equivalent of 3 weeks work. This was not funded.
Evaluation
No evaluation. Attendees were asked to write the name of their school on a large sheet of paper and put a sticker by the name for each attendee.
Tips
Yes, the initiatives were successful. The postcards were a good way to involve girls in schools where teachers could not bring groups. To do differently -try to involve someone whose role was just evaluation.
Next steps
These events were part of the inspiration for Ada Scotland Festival 2020.
Lead partner organisation type
University
Description
Riverside Primary organised a series of events illustrating the working world of adults to pupils in early years. Four computing students (two men and two women) demonstrated computing technology to classes. These were programmable small/toy robots and visual experiences, such as face manipulation, trying to illustrating the "mechanics" of that, i.e. ways in which computers could "see, sense and listen from us”. This was in the form of a game: an application that can recognise our faces, a device that can see our hands in space, and a small robot which we can tell it what to do. These were shown to a class of interested and engaged pupils.
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Student population
14000
Student population (Computing/digital department)
500
Delivery of activity
This took place on site, during the Riverside Working World Week at Riverside primary in 2017
Leadership
The initiative was co-led by - a lecturer coordinating the event (and the Strirling Uni Computer Club) - four students from the Computer Club with the support of the school administration.
Environment
In school(s)
Activity type
Workshop / interactive demos, Mentoring
Role model roles
The four students led the demonstration, engaging with different groups of pupils, who responded with interest, also thanks to the empathic communication the students were able to establish, and the interest of pupils for the "props" we used.
Role model profiles
Two male and two female students. They were a natural choice given their engagement with the computer club and availability.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise aspirations / inspire
Strategic aim of activity
N/a
Target audience of activity
Pupils of a primary school in early classes (P1-P2).
Inclusion
This was embedded in the schedule of the Riverside Working World Week.
Audience/participants
Pupils of a primary school in early classes (P1-P2) and their teachers.
Costs/resources
It relied on voluntary work of staff and students, on resources of the Computer club/division and on the organisation of the school.
Evaluation
Positive interest and participation of the whole groups of students on the day, plus positive feedback from the school.
Tips
It was a success, although a one-off, with not much follow up.
Next steps
N/A
Lead partner organisation type
Charity dressCode
Description
dressCode hackathons are an inspirational extracurricular activity for girls aged 11-13 to expose them to the possibilities of coding in Computing Science and to bridge the gap between industry and education.
Delivery of activity
Hackathons are a one-off activity. It is project based. S1/2 girls work in groups of 5 to create a solution to a challenge set using code. Each group is paired with a senior student who is studying Computing Science at secondary school and supports their team throughout the day and acts as their mentor.
Leadership
This project is lead by dressCode with senior students being paired with a team to help mentor, support and encourage them throughout the activity.
Environment
3rd party festival (e.g. science festival, Demofest), Other: Usually companies offices.
Activity type
Competition, Other: Practical coding activity.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
N/A
Target audience of activity
Yes specifically aimed at girls in S1/2 to hopefully help encourage them to pick Computing Science as a subject to continue to study.
Inclusion
N/A
Audience/participants
50 S1/2 pupils and 10 S6 pupils. There was also additional members of staff from industry who supported the event.
Costs/resources
N/A
Evaluation
A questionnaire was sent out after the event. We also received some feedback via social media with posts we were tagged in.
Tips
Our hackathons have been a big success. The feedback from teachers, parents, industry but most importantly pupils have been so positive. Top tips: A fun engaging activity, senior mentors and industry support, ran in company offices, free event, cool prizes.
Next steps
We hope to run more of these when the pandemic is over and we are allowed to do so safely.
Lead partner organisation type
University
Description
The project involved interviewing over 60 women in data-driven roles (mostly STEM, data science, and interdisciplinary studies) in Scotland to create profiles of their work; specifically their achievements, journeys to, and reflections on their work. These reflections were focused on issues of gender equality in data science. These profiles formed a campaign internal and external to the University of Edinburgh called the Women in Data campaign to spark discussion on issues of gender equality in data - and more broadly in the current and future data-driven fourth industrial revolution, where Scotland are leaders - and to raise the profile of women as inventors, pioneers, leaders, innovators, and experts in this work.
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Student population
41312
Delivery of activity
Interviews and profile-creation took 9 months, followed by the Women in Data campaign itself; releasing profiles over a series of weeks. To launch the campaign, a Women in Data session was organised at the annual Data Driven Innovation conference in 2019. DDI was proud to make the Women in Data session the core session of the conference, with hundreds in attendance as well as the press. Prolific feminist campaigner and data expert, Caroline Criado Perez in Edinburgh, delivered a keynote speech on the subject of sexist bias in data, followed by a panel with our campaign participants, followed by a speech by the Women in Data campaign lead, Poppy Gerrard-Abbott, to introduce the Women in Data campaign. Initial profiles were included in conference literature. Following on from this launch event, profiles were released in a staggered way, in batches on the DDI website every week over the final 3 months of the project (12 overall). The project was then bookended with a public report, approaching the interviews as research and discussing the findings: https://ddi.ac.uk/report-showcases-world-of-work-for-women-in-data/ The report and profiles are permanently based on the DDI website for the public to access. Several articles and blogs, including pieces written internally at DDI and externally by mainstream news journalists, have also been written on the Women in Data campaign: https://ddi.ac.uk/women-in-data/the-journey-of-the-ddi-women-in-data-campaign/
Leadership
Poppy Gerrard-Abbott, PhD on sexual and gender-based violence in UK universities (lead) Professor Judy Robertson, chair in digital learning (academic supervisor) Mark Baillie, DDI (DDI communications manager)
Environment
In our institution, In school(s), 3rd party festival (e.g. science festival, Demofest), Online, Other: Social media, mainstream journalism, science and data festivals in Edinburgh, internal circulation in the organisations/companies the women participants are/were a part of.
Activity type
Marketing materials, Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A, Workshop / interactive demos
Role model roles
The interviewees were the role models in the Women in Data campaign. The work involved for them related to being interviewed by the Women in Data lead, Poppy Gerrard-Abbott, and then sharing their profiles in their own organisations/companies using email and social media. Some of the participants also took part in an all-women panel at the Women in Data campaign launch event, of which the questions and talking points were drawn from the campaign. This panel was chaired by Caroline Criado Perez after she delivered a keynote speech.
Role model profiles
The interviewees were the role models. They were students, PhDs, researchers, academics, readers, professors, politicians (including Members of the Scottish Parliament MSPs), analysts, businesswomen, entrepreneurs, consultants, scientists, inventors, teachers, directors, CEOs, principals, and other professionals in data-driven roles in Scotland, with a few UK-wide profiles with historical or current ties to Scotland (such as being Scottish or being educated in Scotland). Some profiles were individual and some represented a society, collective or club. We worked hard to ensure intersectionality, capturing a diversity of women and girls in terms of age, class, ethnicity, sector, seniority, maternity status, occupation, education, and background (many profiles highlighted non-traditional routes, such as not going to university).
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
To raise the profile of women and gender equality issues in data-driven work in Scotland.
Target audience of activity
1. Primarily, women and girls in Scotland (however, it is naturally beyond Scotland, because the digital basis of the campaign allows cross-national and global access). 2. Secondly, raising the profile of women's contributions and voices in data-driven work within the data field itself.
Inclusion
University comms, DDI social media, the Women in Data conference session, journalistic articles, participants sharing the campaign in their own networks, which included the Scottish Government and peer support/mentorship networks for women and girls
Audience/participants
Unsure of the question, apologies.
Costs/resources
Circa £15k
Evaluation
Impact and evaluation work was limited due to the campaign being a permanent feature of the DDI website, and due to the funding and Women in Data lead position being fixed-term. However, throughout the period we were launching and releasing the profiles, the DDI communications teams collected digital analytics, which saw the Women in Data pages receiving top website traffic. DDI also received positive feedback from participants, their networks, and conference attendees.
Tips
In your opinion, was the initiative a success? Yes, a) digital and b) peer get-togethers, such as conferences, are everything. What would you do differently in future? Contribute more to defining the parameters of data science as the field is in its infancy and definitions of it are evolving. See the issue you are discussing/tackling as 'live' and use your project to carve out your own influence and leadership. A challenge for us was that data science intersects and overlaps with a broad diversity of sectors, industries, and disciplines. You have to draw the line somewhere and be able to justify that line. What would you recommend others did? I.e., your top tips. Ensure you have a crystalised aim, target audience, and remits in your team - such simple points but these are SO simple and fundamental, they are more than often forgotten. Finally, and above all, keep it simple.
Next steps
Over a year on, a podcast will be released by DDI via Spotify, consisting of a conversation between the Women in Data lead, Poppy Gerrard-Abbott, and Dr Alison Schrager, a risk expert. This podcast aims to revisit and revive the themes of the Women in Data campaign, ensuring that vital and ever-emerging discussion on gender continues in fields like data, economics, entrepreneurship, and policy-making. As already mentioned, the Women in Data campaign has a permanent space on the DDI website and is sometimes revisited via the DDI's social media channels. Participants have stayed in touch with us and each other.
Lead partner organisation type
University
Description
We recruit female students to run our applicants days for undergraduate courses in the School of Computing: speak to applicants, demonstrate lab work, tours, Q&A
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Student population
18000
Student population (Computing/digital department)
1400
Delivery of activity
2-3 times p.a.
Leadership
Dean of Computing
Environment
In our institution
Activity type
Workshop / interactive demos, Other: Ambassador work
Role model roles
Yes, these female students are role models for applicants. They are personable, explain what they like (and don't like) about studying computing, show the types of lab work involved (including when it doesn't go right).
Role model profiles
Female students from any year of the computing school at Edinburgh Napier. They are relatively close to the target audience in terms of age, and especially close in terms of their decision-making about courses to study.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
We want to achieve a better gender balance on our computing courses.
Target audience of activity
Applicants
Inclusion
Most recently our Applicants Days are run online using a virutal fair format. Prior to that we wantedt o reach any and all applicants to showcase the school of computing.
Audience/participants
Approx 20 students as role models (all paid for their participation), approx 300 visitors - applicants and their friends/ family.
Costs/resources
Approx £3K p.a. in wages for students.
Evaluation
We only gather feedback data at a uni level re the experience of the day. No specific question re student ambassadors.
Tips
The female students helping out are highly engaged and enjoy the day - so benefits for them, over and above any benefits in applicants seeing them as role models.
Next steps
Perhaps try to determine applicants' experiences locally (as well as in uni-wide survey)
Lead partner organisation type
University
Description
The WiRE (Women in Robotics, Edinburgh) Female Mentorship Programme has been set up within the Centre for Doctoral Training in Robotics and Autonomous Systems to empower and inspire our female students. The programme supports the student-led WiRE (Women in Robotics, Edinburgh) group by bringing students together with inspirational women in the field of Robotics and AI, from both industry and academia. The Programme comprises a series of talks with Q&A sessions where our mentors share insights and advice from their own career journeys, complemented by monthly online face to face mentoring sessions via Teams. Although the initiative only started in Feb 2021, there are already 2 mentors currently involved with more in the pipeline. Of 100 students recruited to the RAS-CDT over 7 years, only 16 of these have been female. The ratio has improved significantly over the last two cohorts, and it is hoped that this programme will help to retain these students and and to help combat feelings of isolation.
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Student population
9600
Delivery of activity
The WiRE (Women in Robotics, Edinburgh) Female Mentorship Programme is a series of talks (first talk delivered on 25th Feb 2021 with more in the pipeline) along with monthly face to face mentoring sessions via Teams.
Leadership
Business Development Executive (Heriot Watt University) Centre for Doctoral Training in Robotics and Autonomous Systems
Environment
Online
Activity type
Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A, Peer support network, Mentoring
Role model roles
All the women selected to give talks with Q&A sessions and/or mentoring are all extremely positive role models, and all are female as we are looking to inspire our female students
Role model profiles
Role models are inspirational women in robotics and AI from both industry and academia. So far, the role models are a range of ages so not all close to the target audience, but this is not relevant. We are trying to consider intersectionality characteristics when choosing women to involve in the programme so our students are inspired by a wide range of role models.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise aspirations / inspire
Strategic aim of activity
The objectives of the Programme very much relate to the Heriot Watt Strategies of "Inspire" and "Belong". We want to inspire our students by showing them the possibilities for women in Tech, and also to build a community where they feel they belong, supported by their mentors and each other.
Target audience of activity
The mentorship programme was aimed at those PhD students identifying as female within the Centre for Doctoral Training in Robotics and Autonomous Systems at the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics
Inclusion
The students involved (target audience) were contacted directly via email regarding the programme and talks/mentoring sessions are set up online using Teams
Audience/participants
All female students currently enrolled within the RAS CDT (13) took part
Costs/resources
The programme is being led by Claire Ordoyno, Business Development Executive for the RAS-CDT, and the mentors are giving their time voluntarily. All talks and mentorship sessions are currently being held via Teams so there are no associated costs for this activity.
Evaluation
The Programme has just started (Feb 2021) so no formal evaluation can take place, however, we have received very positive feedback from students as well as the Director of the RAS-CDT
Tips
Although just launched, the initial talk and Q&A session was a great success with lots of interaction and questions from the students, and feedback that it was very inspiring. Would need to wait until later in the initiative to comment on what I would do differently.
Next steps
To continue to build the The WiRE (Women in Robotics, Edinburgh) Female Mentorship Programme to include more inspirational female role models in Tech as mentors
Lead partner organisation type
University
Description
Female students from Games, Computer Arts, Computing, Ethical Hacking, and Digital Forensics took part in a roadshow. We travelled to local secondary schools and met with all of their female second year pupils. The students provided a short 5 minute presentation explaining what motivates them about their subject area, and explaining the important role that females have had in advancing the subject area.
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Student population
5000
Delivery of activity
Part of a series throughout 2013.
Leadership
Lecturer
Environment
In school(s)
Activity type
Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A
Role model roles
Gave a talk/presentation. All roles were assigned to females
Role model profiles
All speakers were female, and the audience was female. The speakers were students from computing related degree courses.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
raise awareness of STEM subjects to female pupils in schools across Dundee
Target audience of activity
female secondary school pupils in second year (i.e. 13/14 year olds)
Audience/participants
>150 female secondary school pupils in second year (i.e. 13/14 year olds)
Lead partner organisation type
Charity/Non profit organisation
Description
Tech We Can provide FREE lesson plans and online recorded lessons which aim to inspire students to consider a future career in technology. The lesson aim to broaden their knowledge of how technology is used in different sectors and the potential careers they could pursue in technology.
Delivery of activity
All resources available online and on demand.
Leadership
Becky Patel - Education Consultant
Environment
In school(s), Online, Other: Home learning
Activity type
Marketing materials, Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A, Workshop / interactive demos
Role model roles
all of our resources feature role model interviews - the majority of these are with women. They were recorded answering questions about their careers. We also have Tech We Can Champions who we are training to be live role models in the classroom who also deliver our resources.
Role model profiles
Mixture of men and women working in a variety of tech roles. We have a diverse range of role models.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
To inspire more children to see the possibilities that a career in technology could bring.
Target audience of activity
Children aged 9 - 14 (in particular girls but resources suitable for boys and girls)
Inclusion
The lesson plans are 'female friendly' and follow the results from a piece of research commissioned by The Tech She Can Charter
Audience/participants
570+ school registered for access to lesson plans 1250+ parents 4470+ views of the TechTuesday lessons
Costs/resources
Funded by the signatories of The Tech She Can Charter Completely free to all users
Evaluation
We have detailed feedback from our pilot of 700 students We now ask students to rate lessons our of 5 stars
Next steps
Continue to develop and evaluate all Tech We Can resources
Lead partner organisation type
University
Description
An online festival bringing together people and organisations involved in encouraging women to study computing and consider careers in technology. The festival co-hosts events and resources to welcome girls into computing and digital, to have fun and discover new skills, to connect with women studying computing and with women advancing through all sorts of tech careers.
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Student population
29000
Delivery of activity
Annual festival, founded in 2020.
Leadership
Lecturer in the School of Computing Science
Environment
Online
Activity type
Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A, Workshop / interactive demos, Online festival, Competition
Role model roles
Various women involved in events or resources could be considered role models. They took roles in panels, Q&As, technical workshops. - Women spoke about their studies, their work, and their routes into digital; - they encouraged girls to study computing and consider careers in technology; - they answered questions; - they specifically spoke about confidence; - they led technical workshops.
Role model profiles
- Current students, including undergraduates, postgrads and apprentices; - Women working in digital roles, including high profile women/ digital ambassadors, as well as a wide variety of tech workers. - The role models included women of colour; - No information about their socio-economic background or disabilities was collected; - Some of the role models were students and relatively close in age to the target audience of young women. However, they were chosen to talk about their experiences of being a student, rather than due to their age itself.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment, Other: to celebrate women in tech
Target audience of activity
The festival was specifically aimed at girls and young women, especially (but not exclusively) girls at school. The aim was to reach girls across Scotland. Diversity issues were not specifically considered beyond.
Inclusion
Combining the networks of everyone involved in the festival. Social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. Holding the festival online was essential at the time, but also considered an advantage in including people beyond the central belt.
Audience/participants
138 people registered for the launch event via Eventbrite. Of those, 44 identified as teachers, 27 as pupils, 6 as parents, 13 as employers, 10 as lecturers, and 37 as ‘other’.
Costs/resources
Work on the festival was voluntary (or included within professional roles for people and organisations hosting the online events). Prizes and associated postal costs were donated. The festival was organised by a core team of 4 people. About 15 organisations organised/ hosted events. About 12 organisations organised online activities or competitions, or provided resources, such as videos.
Evaluation
A survey was distributed to launch event participants, though only 6 responses were received. On a scale of 1-5 (where 5 is best), the average response to the question 'How would you rate your overall experience of the Ada Scotland Festival?' was 4. We also collected partial postcode data from survey respondents, as a requirement of our membership of the UK Science Festivals Network (who monitor the reach of science festivals in the UK). These data will be collected at the point of registration next time, to improve data collection.
Tips
The initiative was a success for a first go, in terms of achieving a good profile and good will and starting a network. Lots of organisations got involved and created a great archive of resources. However, we would have liked more involvement from participants; attendance at some of the later events was rather low. We could have done with some admin support around events.
Next steps
We are planning for this to be annual, taking place around Ada Lovelace Day each year. We have established ourselves as a charity.
Lead partner organisation type
University
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Delivery of activity
This was an annual activity taking place on a day in June. It ran for several years but stopped after 2017 because of a lack of staff capacity to run it.
Leadership
It was run by a Computing Science lecturer who was given the role of Schools Liaison Officer.
Environment
In our institution
Activity type
Workshop / interactive demos
Role model roles
Role models gave presentations to school pupils and guided them through computing lab activities. There were no specific roles for female role models.
Role model profiles
Role models were Computing Science staff and students. The timing of the activity (after end of semester) meant that few UG students were available so it was mostly staff.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Target audience of activity
School pupils in 4th or 5th year of secondary school.
Inclusion
Letters were sent to schools inviting teachers to book places on the schools day. No particular strategies for under-represented groups.
Audience/participants
85 secondary school pupils, plus around half a dozen school teachers, took part the last time the event was run.
Costs/resources
All costs incurred (staff time, printing, access to labs, catering) were contributed by the Computing Science department from general resources.
Evaluation
Participants were asked to fill out feedback questionnaires evaluating the day.
Next steps
Unsure. This activity is no longer running and there are no plans at the moment to restart it.
Lead partner organisation type
University
Description
Founded in 2018, Glasgow Women in Computer Science (GWiCS) is an organisation that seeks to build a supportive community for women in Computing Science at the University of Glasgow. This includes cis and trans women, as well as non-binary individuals. GWiCS aims to support the inclusion and retention of these groups in our community.
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Student population
30000
Delivery of activity
Monthly talks and meet-ups offer a safe place for women, non-binary people, and everyone really, to be more emboldened, visible, and to share their stories.
Leadership
GWiCS was started by a PhD student in Computing Science.
Environment
In our institution
Activity type
Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A
Role model roles
GWiCS has three volunteers, 1 lecturer, 1 post-doctoral research associate, and 1 PhD student.
Role model profiles
The role models were chosen because persons are very inspirational. They further represent most stages of academic development.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
At GwiCS events, it’s all about the people that attend. GwiCS aims at providing talks that foster an inclusive, and supportive environment, aiming at providing resources that are helpful for career progression (and really all kinds of other topics related to academia). The speakers at GwiCS events are usually also 50/50 men and women.
Target audience of activity
GWiCS aims to: Foster a sense of community amongst women in Computing Science through the organisation of social and educational events, Provide opportunity to the community by making useful resources available host speakers from industry and academia, spread the word on CS and technology related workshops, Support the retention of women in CS, Provide education on women’s/diversity issues in CS and STEM, Hold open, inclusive, and welcoming meetings.
Inclusion
The values within GWiCS: Inclusivity: The main goal of GWiCS is to foster an inclusive environment where primarily cis and trans women, as well as non-binary individuals in SoCS can feel welcome, supported and encouraged. Professional development: GWiCS aims to support its members by providing resources and opportunities: providing opportunities to network before / after each meeting with attendees and speakers, connecting them with people in academia and industry.
Audience/participants
There is a big difference in terms of gender balance in CS – not just in percentages of women entering the field, but also in retention and promotion prospects. This does not only apply to Glasgow, or Scotland, it is an international problem. GwiCS aims at providing resources to help minorities overcome any obstacles that they may face, through community support, and the vast amount of information GwicS tries to provide on all sorts of topics.
Costs/resources
The costs associated with GWiCS were the lunches before/after the monthly events. These were paid for by the School of Computing Science.
Lead partner organisation type
Company
Description
https://www.future-foundations.co.uk/
Delivery of activity
Multiple sessions taught over approx 6 weeks, 2 lessons per week, project based, teams of 4 to 6, trying to have each team at least 50% female. Running Nov and Dec then again in Feb before competition submission in April
Leadership
Class teachers of Computing Science. AWS mentor.
Environment
In school(s)
Activity type
Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A, Workshop / interactive demos, Competition
Role model roles
AWS mentor - female mentor to introduce competition and support teams throughout the process.
Role model profiles
Female working in tech with AWS. Parent and governor of the school.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
To promote the use of technology to solve a problem in your local community. To encourage female participation in tech.
Target audience of activity
All S2 pupils but groups to have at least 50% female participants. I also appointed female project managers for teams.
Inclusion
Female mentor as role model. I also appointed female project managers for teams to coordinate activities.
Audience/participants
90 S2 pupils. All genders.
Costs/resources
All resources provided free by AWS and Future Foundations.
Evaluation
We will analyse S2 pupil options in comparison to other years to see if uptake in S3 improves and if more female students choose Computing Science as one of their options.
Tips
I chose the groups myself to split up any friendship groups that could have dominated but I tried to keep female friends together so they could support each other.
Next steps
We will have a school final where 4 shortlisted teams will present to a panel of industry experts to select the best idea to submit to the national competition.
Lead partner organisation type
University
Description
Every year, the Dundee Women’s Festival, a city‐wide event, takes place in Dundee, during the first two weeks of March including International Women’s Day on 8th March. This festival is organised by women in the local community and is an established and popular festival. This year, the University is contributing an online event in partnership with Dundee Science Centre to celebrate women in STEM. The webpages feature profiles on women in STEM including computing and computational biology. There is also an activity section dedicated to Computer in Science.
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Student population
16000
Student population (Computing/digital department)
400
Delivery of activity
This specific activity is a one-off but we have annual women in STEM events as part of Dundee Women's Festival.
Leadership
School of Life Sciences Public Engagement and Communications Officer in partnership with the School of Science and Engineering Public Engagement Team.
Environment
Online
Activity type
Online festival
Role model roles
All the women featured are role models. Their career profiles allow them to share their own story in their own words. Some recorded videos to tell their story while others wrote it down.
Role model profiles
The women featured ranged from students to Professors. They put themselves forward for the activity while others were approached. We wanted to show a broad range of people working in tech. The focus was on women but additional characteristics were welcomed to show that that there is not a specific type of person who becomes a scientist in any subject area. We have women with disability and different ethnicities featured.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire
Strategic aim of activity
Yes, our University has a Public Engagement Strategy aligned to the overall University Strategy. Examples of aims from the EPE strategy that relate to the above purposes: - To intensify our impact locally and globally, by engaging industry, policy-makers and the public, and to develop employability, enterprise and work-based learning for all. - Embed interdisciplinary research and teaching, through a team-based approach to our key themes and deliver projects which evidence impact - We share our best practice and celebrate our successes widely. - The wider community wants to engage with us, and we are valued as a partner that makes a difference.
Target audience of activity
It was aimed at school children of any gender. The activities (unless listed) were aimed at primary age while the profiles were aimed more at secondary pupils (though there would be overlap).
Inclusion
We were meeting a need from Dundee Science Centre to provide online resources on their Home Learning Programme that are used by local school teachers and local families.
Audience/participants
The initiative launched today so we do not have that data yet.
Costs/resources
The initiative launched today so we do not have all the final costs and resources time yet.
Evaluation
The initiative launched today so we do not have that data yet.
Tips
The initiative launched today so we do not have that data yet.
Next steps
We hope that some of the content will be transformed to be used in the Dundee Science Centre Science @ Home packs where activity packs are delivered to children of the most vulnerable families in the City.
Lead partner organisation type
Cloud computing - private sector
Description
AWS Get IT is a free cloud computing programme to encourage more girls to consider careers in technology. Female AWS ambassadors work with the schools, supporting teachers at S2 to guide the pupils through an app building competition. The best 10 apps in the UK are invited to the grand final, and Amazon Web Services commits to build the winning app.
Delivery of activity
AWS Get IT is a free cloud computing programme to encourage more girls to consider careers in technology. Female AWS ambassadors work with the schools, supporting teachers at S2 to guide the pupils through an app building competition. The best 10 apps in the UK are invited to the grand final, and Amazon Web Services commits to build the winning app.
Leadership
Don’t know
Environment
In school(s)
Activity type
Competition
Role model roles
Yes
Role model profiles
Yes
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
To encourage more girls to consider a career in technology.
Target audience of activity
S2 pupils, aged 12-13
Inclusion
Yes
Audience/participants
Schools
Costs/resources
Free to schools. Teaching resources provided.
Lead partner organisation type
Non-profit organisation, hosted by Edinburgh Napier University
Description
3.5 day online experiential learning event to upskill or reskill women STEM students, career changers or professional women in STEM in data science skills. Attendees learned the value of data and AI within their studies/organisations, the transferable skills required for a career in data science, 2 days of python programming and a career paths session on the final day with presentations from women roles models who had successfully transitioned to a career in data science. Attendees were offered career clinics, cv reviews with Equate Scotland post event.
Delivery of activity
The course has been run 3 times: November 2020 – 18 women – full course (72 applications received) February 2021 – 19 women – full course (52 applications received) March 2021 – 5 women – 1.5 day course tailored for neuro diverse women ( 7 applications received but only 5 accepted their place) It took place online. It started as a one off, but due to its success a further 2 courses were arranged, another 2 additional courses are also being discussed.
Leadership
Project Officer – Careerwise, Equate Scotland
Environment
Online
Activity type
Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A, Workshop / interactive demos, Peer support network, Course / training / summer school etc.
Role model roles
The 2 days of python was delivered by 2 female instructors from CodeClan who in themselves are roles models for women tech. Also, the final session included presentations from 4 women professionals as role models. One of presentations was by a women who has worked in tech and now works for a tech recruitment company (MBN Solutions) followed by another 3 presentations from women who successfully made a transition to a career in data science, two of which had no previous training or experience in data science at all. The feedback showed the women who attended found these talks to be very inspirational. Feedback shows the women found the whole event empowering and inspiring and it gave them the confidence to pursue a career in data science.
Role model profiles
- women tech instructors teaching python - A women who had worked in tech and now worked in tech recruitment - A Spanish women who is Head of Data Science at TV Squared. She studied Business Administration and Media Studies in Canada, then worked in strategic marketing but wanted a more data orientated role so decided to then study Business Analytics and Big Data, then through her Professor got on a Programming Bootcamp, which led her to a role as Data Scientist and now works as Head of Data Science. - A French women who had changed career from science to data scientist at Malzee Insights, a product insight and testing company. She started her career as a chemical engineer, then completed a PhD in organic chemistry, then worked in bio tech, before retraining as a data analysts then moved to data science and completed a Codeclan course. - An American women who works in Business Intelligence and Analytics in the NHS. She started her career as a veterinary nurse, then studied animal biology, then infection and immunobiology, then worked in a couple of laboratories such as Charles River and Quotient, who then retrained in data science via CodeClan. The main focus of the role models was to demonstrate that you can change career and retrain in data science. They all had different back grounds, some with Masters or PhDs, from engineering, business and media to science, but all showed that with perseverance and retraining it can be achieved. My aim was to show to the women attending what other women had done to make a successful move, such as where can they continue to grow their skills, where/how to build experience through volunteering, what to do to showcase their programming, coding skills, what other key skills are important for a career in data science not just the tech and in fact demonstrated that the soft skills were even more important than the tech skills and the importance of building a network of people in tech. The course was attended by under grad students, career changers and professional women in STEM, a mix of Scottish domiciled and international women, a real mix of ages between early 20s to late 30s from various back grounds such as economics, phycology, accountants, engineering, science, women starting their own businesses, women in academic research who wanted to move to industry, women in marketing. The role models were mostly mid-late 30s. The women who attended stated they themselves were ‘old’ and thought at their age would not be attractive a tech employer but the role models demonstrated that this is not the case. I was surprised that the attendees thought they were ‘too old’ at 30 something.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
The strategic aim is to encourage more women to consider a career in tech or data science.
Target audience of activity
The initiative was specifically aimed at women from any background who wanted to reskill or upskill in data science. No former knowledge of tech or data was required, it was a complete beginner course that anyone could attend and explore the possibilities of a career in data science. The attendees were diverse in that they were all at different levels in their careers, all from different career backgrounds, aged between 20 late 30s. We didn’t ask them about race, religion, socio background etc but we did ask them if they required any adjustments to be made to allow them to attend. One women who attended the full 3 day course had a disability and we made reasonable adjustments to enable her to attend. We also specifically ran a course for neuro diverse women – women who had autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and dyspraxia.
Inclusion
The plan was to target women interested in reskilling or upskilling, career changers, professionals and students who were living in Scotland. Or women whose employment has been impacted by the pandemic. It was promoted far and wide via Equate, The DataLab and Codeclan and received interest from women all over the world and the rest of the UK to attend. It was delivered online because it had to be due to the pandemic, which meant women could attend who were based anywhere in Scotland. The course duration and timing was driven by the content that was required to be delivered. The neuro diverse course did not attract as many registrations but all delivery was tailored to suit neuro divergent women and women were asked what condition they had and what adjustments they would require. I took advice from SWAN and Auticon on what we should consider when tailoring the course.
Audience/participants
Women interested in upskilling or reskilling in data science took part. Students, career changers and professional women already working in STEM or other fields where data science can be applied. November 2020 – 18 women – full course (72 applications received) February 2021 – 19 women – full course (52 applications received) March 2021 – 5 women – 1.5 day course tailored for neuro diverse women ( 7 applications received but only 5 accepted their place)
Costs/resources
To date total costs have been £24,000 for online delivery of 2 x 3.5 day event and 1 x 1.5 day event between The DataLab, Codeclan and Equate. The first course was funded by Equate in full. The DataLab then secured further funding to allow delivery of a further 2 courses. A further 2 courses are being discussed and would be paid for the DataLab via Scottish Government. Equate staff time was recorded for organisation, promotion, delivery and evaluation in order to prepare a fully costed project proposal for a further 2 courses. The Codeclan element was costed on their actual course prices. 8 people were involved in the delivery (1 x Datalab, 2 x Codeclan, 1 x Equate and 4 x women professionals)
Evaluation
Participants completed an online evaluation form. Further impacts recorded include CV reviews, career clinics request froms participants, and data on those that went on to the The DataLab MCs Programme or paid for further training with CodeClan. The evaluation was planned. Equate has also connected all women who attended on LinkedIn to follow their career journey at a later point to assess further long term impact. A further 6 month follow up eval will also be conducted.
Tips
The initiative was a huge success. There is huge demand for this opportunity from women evidenced by the number of applications received for each course. The neuro diverse course was as not as popular but it a new area for all partners however, 5 women with neuro diverse conditions still trained in data science. We wouldn’t do anything differently.
Next steps
The plan is to roll out more of the same course if it can be externally funded.
Lead partner organisation type
STEM companies
Description
We’re showing the next generation that girls, young women and non-binary people do Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) too at our free, fun, food-filled experiences that are led by STEM-professional role models who identify as women. We also encourage men to get involved through workshop opportunities.
Delivery of activity
Mentoring Programmes Python Certification Courses Cyber Security Courses Leadership Academies Networking Events Speed-networking Events Wellness Workshops STEM Mode In - Online events for 5 all the way to 25 Parent/Guardian Support STEMillions - STEM activities in a box all key stages Stemette Society - Safe closed online community for 13+ Loads more 🙂
Leadership
Core Stemettes Staff
Environment
In our institution
Activity type
Marketing materials, Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A, Workshop / interactive demos, Online festival, Competition, Peer support network, Mentoring, Course / training / summer school etc.
Role model roles
Mentors Networkers CV support Interview support Tech support Coding tutors Panelists STEM workshop hosts Keynotes Speed-mentor
Role model profiles
All from our partner organisations, link popped in above in the partnership question
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
Empower Build confidence Change perceptions of STEM Increase awareness of STEM careers and opportunities Increase their STEM network Build their STEM edu and career knowledge
Target audience of activity
5 to 25 years
Inclusion
More collaborations - like this one. Online advertising Social Media promo Newsletters PR - e.g BBC
Audience/participants
We've reached nearly 60,000 so far
Costs/resources
Everything we do is free We provide laptops and wifi too for those that need it.
Evaluation
How was the initiative evaluated? surveys, 1-2-1 talks, group feedback sesisons If data was gathered from participants, what was the method, number of respondents, and outcome? Always positive outcome on the aforementioned measurements Was other data used? E.g. recruitment data, longitudinal data. No Was evaluation planned and resourced or ad hoc? Planned
Tips
SUCCESS 🙂 Make it interactive Have fun Music Free Role Model focused
Next steps
Yes initiatives are planned all year round
Lead partner organisation type
Scottish Registered Charity
Description
SmartSTEMs exist to inspire the next generation about Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). We achieve this by running interactive, inspiring events bringing together schools, further education establishments and employers. Our events are targeted primarily at young people age 10-14 as this ensures we can engage them with STEM prior to subject selection which is a critical time in career outcome. We want to reach young people who are geographically isolated and therefore wouldn’t have access to museums etc. alongside those who are disadvantaged and from a lower socio-economic background ensuring equity of opportunity for our young people.
Delivery of activity
SmartSTEMs host several Hub events each year with partners such as colleges and universities. In 2019 we hosted 13 Hub events and in 2020 we hosted 5 Hub events and so far, 18 virtual Outreach events.
Environment
In school(s), Other: University and college campuses
Activity type
Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A, Workshop / interactive demos, Other: 'Meet the Exhibitors' - networking opportunity for students and employers
Role model roles
Role models play a part throughout the whole SmartSTEMs event. Through interactive presentations, hands on activities and guides for the day. Each are so important and have an impact on the young people they speak to.
Role model profiles
Our role models come from a range of backgrounds and industry in order to highlight the breadth of opportunities and careers available. They are often quite young and early on in their career as we believe this breaks down many barriers associated with jobs in STEM. We always try to show equality with our role models with both male and females taking part. We also try to break down stereotypes with regards to jobs for 'boys and girls'.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire
Target audience of activity
SmartSTEMs events are aimed at young people age 10-14 (P7-S2) and size can range from 50-500 young people. We target this age group as it is prior to any subject choices at high school ensuring all pupils are aware of their opportunities and don’t shut any doors to future careers.
Costs/resources
Our model is low cost – the events are free to attend for the schools and all of our workshops are ran by volunteers from the STEM sector. There is a cost incurred by the host for lunches.
Tips
SmartSTEMs have been running events since 2015 with the number growing each year. It is a very successful model as it provides high impact for low cost. Our moto is ‘Collaboration is Key’ and we truly believe that a brining everyone together under one roof increases the impact and has the best outcome for all parties.
Lead partner organisation type
Professional society
Description
This lecture is held in honour of Karen Spärck Jones, one of the most remarkable women in computer science.
Delivery of activity
Annual lecture, although the pandemic has disrupted delivery somewhat. For several years the lecture was delivered in-person in London in May each year. In 2020 we moved to online in December. There was no event in 2021. The 2022 event was in March. The timing is being varied to try to attract a different audience.
Leadership
Chair of the Women in Computing Research group
Environment
Online
Activity type
Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A
Role model roles
Three speakers giving a short research talk and participating in a Q&A panel. Event chair. High-profile short introduction. (So essentially, five speakers). All were women, as the event promotes women in computing.
Role model profiles
Each speaker was chosen to be a role model. The speakers were chosen to represent different fields in computing, and different career stages. All were active researchers. In addition, the event was introduced by two senior women who were also role models. An effort was made to choose some women closer to the target audience in age. (Target 16-24, speakers ranging from 30-60).
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
The goal is to inform and raise awareness about women in computing research. BCS’s slogan is ‘Making IT good for society’. This includes ensuring the chartered professionals in our industry are representative and diverse, especially as the future talent pipeline emerges.
Target audience of activity
The goal is to reach undergrad students and seniors; young women who are interested in tech. Mainly aimed at girls but not exclusively: it’s good for a wider spectrum of tech people to see the under-represented groups more prominently.
Inclusion
It’s an online event so anyone can come – no geographical issues. There are potentially timing issues, but we are recording so that the event can be picked up later. We don’t anticipate any intersectionality issues: anyone can attend due to it being online and on a free platform. A variety of networks were used to promote the event, including some targetting schools, and some targetting women in tech.
Audience/participants
The session was online, and was joined by approximately 60 viewers although 130 had signed up. Demographic information about attendees was not collected.
Costs/resources
Preparation and time of speakers, chair, and introductory speaker. All given freely. Organisational time given by the BCS: two staff organising at BCS, planning, preparing marketing and communications, and following up with evaluation.
Evaluation
Post-event online survey to evaluate perceptions of the event. This is standard for all BCS events. 31 respondents (23%). 93% of delegates found the lecture beneficial. 63% indicated they were very interested in computing and tech BEFORE the lecture. After the lecture this had risen to 74%. 96% were satisfied with the format of having three speakers.
Tips
The event was successful, although we would like to reach a wider audience. In future, we need to consult more with our target audience to establish what sort of event will attract them to participate. Top tips: think about the participants: who are they, what do they want, and how do you want them to be changed by your event? Think about evaluation from the beginning.
Next steps
The Karen Spärck Jones Lecture is an annual event. It is part of a set of prestigious lectures run by the BCS (Lovelace lecture, Roger Needham lecture, Turing talk) and learning from this event feeds into those other events (which are for more general audiences).
Lead partner organisation type
University
Description
Connect-Ups are opportunities for women in tech (studying, working, apprentices) to get together (online just now) to chat and support each other. Three themed sessions have been designed and two sets of these three Connect-Ups will run in parallel through Spring 2022.
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Student population
15453
Student population (Computing/digital department)
2115
Delivery of activity
The two initial sets of Connect-Ups are part of the Women into Tech project. We hope that other Connect-Ups are organised, either by our participants or other women. The Connect-Ups took place from March to June 2022
Leadership
Professor (of Computing; female)
Environment
Online
Activity type
Peer support network, Mentoring, Other: Themed online discussion groups
Role model roles
The Connect-ups were designed to be women-only spaces. All project members who attended were female. Project members led and facilitated the initial sessions, then helped participants to take over. Ideally, participants further on in their studies or career could be seen as role models by others, especially participants who took on facilitation roles.
Role model profiles
All organisers and participants were considered potential role models, i.e: • Academics in computing (professors, lecturers, researchers) • Women working in Tech. • Students and apprentices studying tech subjects. So we hoped that sessions would include role models near to the target audience (young women) and also further on in their careers. Intersectionality characteristics were considered in terms of diversity, but not individually.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment, Other: upport participants, especially to gain confidence
Strategic aim of activity
Our wider strategic aim is: Tackling the gender imbalance in STEM benefits the social, cultural and economic capital of Scotland, through improving opportunities for individual women, helping to increase diversity in the tech sector, and helping to address the tech skills gap. This echoes the university purpose as described in its strategy.
Target audience of activity
The Connect-Ups, as part of the Women into Tech project, are primarily aimed at young women moving into tech careers, especially students and apprentices. Diversity was considered in terms of aiming to include both FE and HE students, as well as 3 levels of apprentice: Foundation (FA), Modern (MA), and Graduate (GA).
Inclusion
Our strategies to include the target audience, including under-represented groups, through partnerships with local colleges, QA, local schools and industry partners. This partnership is primarily practiced through our steering group, but also through SDS' networks and our own (e.g. via social media). These partnerships and networks were used to recruit participants. By holding 2 parallel sets of events we aimed to make the Connect-Ups accessible to more people, making sure they were at different times of day.
Audience/participants
So far (excluding project staff) 39 women have signed up and 20 have attended at least one Connect-Up. We are currently half way through the two series.
Costs/resources
Connect-Ups are part of a larger project funded by SDS (with staff time also funded by the universities). The project is a response to tender. The funding pays for staff time, including students working on the project. The core staff team is 6 (In each university: 2 academic/research staff + 1 student), plus student helpers. Estimate core staff time at 25 days + student staff and helper time (Core staff time is funded for 43 days, but this includes other elements in addition to the Connect-Ups.) The project funding also includes 2 training workshops for potential Connect-up facilitators and participants
Evaluation
Data about participants is gathered via a survey as part of the registration process. Feedback from participants is gathered on padlets at the end of each Connect-Up. Further evaluation is planned in future to try to measure impact. Evaluation is planned.
Tips
So far, the initiative seems to be going well. In future we need to work harder to include more of our younger target participants (especially foundation and modern apprentices and HNC/HND students). It is too early to recommend top tips.
Next steps
We are keen to encourage and support other organisations to host Connect-Ups
Lead partner organisation type
Training provider
Description
CodeClan Youth Academy is an eight week summer coding and internship programme. To promote the programme CodeClan chose to go into schools (S4 - S6) to give talks on the types of careers learning how to code can lead to and to encourage applications. CodeClan was particularly keen to encourage applications from girls.
Delivery of activity
The in school talks took place across several schools in Edinburgh in March - April.
Leadership
The Initiatives Manager at CodeClan ran the project. The Initiatives Manager is responsible for delivering projects that help support underrepresented groups in technology access training delivered by CodeClan.
Environment
In school(s)
Activity type
Guest speaker(s)/ Panel / Q&A, Course / training / summer school etc.
Role model roles
The Initiatives Manager (female) and Software Developers (female) participated in the careers talk. The Initiatives Manager promoted the CodeClan Youth Academy and the Software Developer talked about the different careers available in the tech industry. We chose to use female speakers to act as role models to the female students.
Role model profiles
We chose to use female speakers to act as role models to the female students. Only 25% of Scotland's tech sector is made up of women and the cultural view of Software Development is very much a 'bro' culture with popular images of men in hoodies and playing video games. The reality is, that is is not the case. The presentation included information on women leaders in technology - Ann - Marie Imafidon (Stemettes), Ann Boden (Starling Bank), Melanie Perkins (Canva). The speakers delivering the talk were under 30 and worked for CodeClan or in tech businesses in Edinburgh.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
The strategic aim of the activity was to promote the CodeClan Youth Academy to senior pupils at school and encourage applications, while also demonstrating the variety of career opportunities available in Edinburgh's technology sector.
Target audience of activity
The target audience of the activity was S4 - S6's (Aged 16 - 18). The activity was not particularly targeted at a specific gender or ethnicity.
Inclusion
CodeClan engaged directly with the schools, Skills Development Scotland Careers Advisors and Developing the Young Workforce to promote the opportunity to school pupils. The most effective way to reach the target audience was to deliver a session during school time, after school sessions resulted in fewer students attending.
Audience/participants
CodeClan reached around 50 students by visiting 5 different schools. (On average there were 10 students per sessions). There was a 25/75 % gender split across all sessions which is reflective of the current gender split in the technology sector. Schools located in a higher SMID areas saw a higher number of girls attending sessions than schools located in lower SMID areas.
Costs/resources
Attending schools to promote the CCYA summer programme was free, except for the time required to travel and deliver the 45 minute session. This was considered as part of the promotional activity required as part of the summer programme. It took approximately 1.5 hours x 5 schools (for 2 people) to deliver the sessions.
Evaluation
The success of the sessions was evaluated based upon the number of applications received per school visit. On average we saw 3 applications per school visit (30%). Unfortunately, there was a low application rate for girls, however we found a positive outcome when it came ethnic diversity and socio - economic background. Evaluation directly from the students was not planned and in the future student feedback on their experience should be factored in.
Tips
This was the first time CodeClan have gone into schools to promote the CCYA programme and to promote careers in technology. While the aim was to encourage applications to the CCYA summer programme, which was overall a success, next time we would include a coding activity or interactive session to get students excited about technology and provide a flavour for what they will lean during the summer programme. I would encourage anyone looking to engage with high schools to use the Developing the Young Workforce coordinators to access the schools, they were very helpful in organising and marketing the sessions to the pupils.
Next steps
N/A
Lead partner organisation type
University
Description
A half day of workshops and activities for school learners in S4-6 at their local further education college. Workshops all themed around interesting and exciting ways to use and visualise data
Inaugurated post '92
Yes
Student population
35375
Delivery of activity
A series of four events, each at a different FE college during March. Two of the four events had to be cancelled.
Leadership
The DDI team and members of the DES and DEC projects came together to pla the events, with the assistance of a consultant to manage the project
Environment
Four FE colleges in the Lothians and Borders (Fife, West Lothian, Borders and Edinburgh Colleges)
Activity type
Marketing materials, Workshop / interactive demos, Competition
Role model roles
We had 4th year Informatics students from the University of Edinburgh who were taking part in a 'Computing in the Classroom' course. They assisted one of the workshops. The first time we ran the workshop at each event the staff member lead it, then the students were encouraged to try leading the workshop on the next two times that day. The students also went round working with and supporting the learners
Role model profiles
The students were volunteers from the CiC course. They were around the age of 20-22, working with school learners aged 16-18. There was an even mix of gender.
Objectives/purpose of activity
to raise awareness / inform, to raise aspirations / inspire, to influence career / course choice / recruitment
Strategic aim of activity
Purposes
Target audience of activity
The event was suitable for students in S4 and S5, regardless of background or previous interest in data skills. We had little control into which schools were invited to the event and which teachers and learners were invited from those schools.
Inclusion
We had no control over which learners were brought to the event. We attempted to design workshops for a wide range of learners, regardless of background and experience
Audience/participants
Event 1: 18 learners Event 2: 30 learners Event 1 participants were mainly school pupils studying CS in school. Event 2 were mainly studying courses at the college in a variety of subjects (mainly from CS and the Hair and Beauty departments)
Costs/resources
I believe the budget was
Evaluation
The event was evaluated by a simple feedback form for learners and teachers at the end of the event. This was collated, along with an evaluation of one of the workshops by the university students (gathered for the purpose of her course) The evaluation was planned at short notice the week before the first event
Tips
The events were exceptionally difficult to arrange due to covid issues, so I suppose managing to run two of them was a success, despite the low attendance. We have a couple of workshops now planned that we can reuse at future events. In future, we will not rely on the colleges schools liason teams to promote the event and arrange the schools attending. We would definitely try to ensure we have university students supporting workshops and events in future. The feedback was very favourable to the workshops they were involved in, and the school learners were very receptive to them.
Next steps
We are planning to make use of the workshops by working with schools directly, as well as supporting outreach teams in UoE and Heriot Watt university to deliver the workshops.