Platform STEM activistsHe founded it Catherine Vergara, a graphic designer from the University of Santo Tomas, was born out of a need for technology publishing. But it’s not just the technology that will take humans to Mars, it’s “the tools that help them choose our CVs when we apply for a job.”
The professional says that at the academy they breathe technology every day. They conduct workshops on robotics and teach electronic programming to girls and boys, but from a gender perspective. In a conversation with Café Plus, the creative also points out the presence of girls in STEM careers, with numbers still very disparate. For this reason, there are many organizations trying to reverse this scenario.
“Diversity is very important for science and technology, because it allows us to find more inclusive solutions. For example, they can help more people contribute with different points of view. And I don’t just mean that we have more women in organizations, but diversity in the broadest sense of the word.”
Catherine Vergara, founder of STEMtivista.
Al-Mahni points out the presence of diversity as women from different social and economic contexts, from different geographical locations, and from different races and sexual orientations. “The numbers are not improving at the rate we would like. For example, in engineering, with data from 2022, we have incomes of only 22% of women. And in computer science, it drops even further. There are many organizations, and The state also has initiatives that seek to inspire girls with these calls.”Add.
Education Award
Last November, L’Oréal and UNESCO announced the award winners For Women in Science 2023. Catherine Vergara received the award in the doctoral category. For professionals, the most important thing about this celebration is that it serves as an example for future generations of female scientists in Chile.
“This is the important point of this award. For someone as a scientist, this is incredible recognition, but it also makes other girls and women visible about the work we do in science. “For this reason, I call on you to make better decisions based on data and to apply for this Awards, because there are many women working in silence, and it is time to raise our voices and make ourselves shine,” hopes the founder of STEMtivista.
Regarding the award, professional comments say that it has to do with technology education, in the context of vulnerability. Catherine Vergara teaches computing, physics and robotics to vulnerable girls. “I have had a very good reception from my students and I am very happy about it. I feel that the impact of AI will be crucial in the classroom and teachers must prepare for that inevitable next wave.”Indicates.
Finally, regarding the challenges of the academy, the STEMtivista founder points out that the idea is for girls to lose their fear of coding. He points out that changing their attitude is the first challenge. “They include developing metacognitive skills, which are as important or more important than the technical skills they can learn. For example, frustration tolerance, courage, resilience, learning how to learn, developing strategies, skills that can also be transferred to other areas.” From girls’ lives.sentence.
