
Female Empowerment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in Higher Education (FeSTEM) aims to promote an innovative method and pedagogy that will allow HE students to use traditional and computationally-rich media to create meaningful, shareable exhibits that will act as mentoring models for encouraging girls and women to remain active in STEM.
About us
The novelty of our approach is reflected in the activities that will make use of traditional and computationally-rich media through which we envisage to expose HE students to successful female role models in STEM and encourage the development of networking opportunities for women to establish a peer support system. The making of meaningful, shareable exhibits is based on the premise that by having students engage as scientists in a creative, hands-on, and passionate endeavour allows them to spark their motivation to remain active in STEM- a motivation that is often extinguished by extrinsic and goals and expectations of education and workplace.
The main project outcomes are foreseen to be: a gender-sensitive teaching methodology for engaging HE students in making shareable exhibits and promoting gender-equality issues, an open source online instrument for making gender-sensitive shareable exhibits, resources in the form of examples to illustrate how shareable exhibits can act as mentoring constructs for women in STEM and a mentoring community platform for STEM HE students.
Resources
Data and analysis of the current state of the art
regarding the needs, challenges, difficulties and expectations of women in STEM in higher education (HE) and industry.
FeSTEM methodology
a gender-sensitive curriculum for STEM that consists of a set of training methodologies that can be used for guiding gender-sensitive teaching and the FeSTEM approach that informs the training methodology.
FeSTEM industry-informed Toolkit
which summarises the challenges that girls and women are expected to encounter in their early and senior careers and propose best practices policies for young women to adopt when entering the STEM professional world.
Toolbox
with traditional and digital materials for constructing gender-sensitive exhibits as well as reporting on the materials and tools (digital and traditional) that can be used for developing gender-sensitive exhibits.
FeSTEM Online Learning Unit
based on the results of the previous outputs and available for wider usage.
FeSTEM community platform
that aims to link HE students in STEM with experienced mentors in the field.
News
Results of FeSTEM in the 4th Summit on Gender Equality in Computing
UOM presented the results of FeSTEM in the 4th Summit on Gender Equality in Computing, 16-17 June, 2022, Thessaloniki, Greece. This study described actions taken to sensitize students and guide them to create exhibits that bring out this gender gap. Students in two...
Successful completion of the final Multiplier Event of the FeSTEM project “Breaking the glass ceiling”
The event "Breaking the glass ceiling" in the context of the European project "Female Empowerment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in Higher Education (FeSTEM)" was held with great success on Thursday, June 2, 2022 at the Cyprus University of...
“Breaking the “glass ceiling” event in the local press
Our event “Breaking the “glass ceiling” is gaining visibility in the local press! The multiplier event organised by the Cyprus University of Technology has gained visibility in the local online press.Local newspapers have covered the event showcasing the project...