The United Nation’s 10th anniversary of their International Day of Women and Girls in Science on Wednesday 11th February is an opportunity to celebrate our own students’ achievements and champion female success in STEAM.
Our STEMinists Club was launched by a scientifically-minded group of Year 10 girls keen to encourage younger pupils to get involved in STEM careers and appreciate what interesting and engaging opportunities exist for women in this field. Now in the Lower Sixth, Ella, Alice, Eva and Daisy are tackling their latest challenge; the Davidson Inventors Challenge organised by the University of Cambridge. This annual competition seeks submissions from students in Years 11 and 12 that combine creativity and passion for biotechnology and chemical engineering into groundbreaking solutions that could one day change the world. Centred on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations, entrants are asked to reflect on the urgent need to address some of the most pressing global challenges, from climate action to clean water and sanitation, and to propose a cost-effective and considered response. The winning team spends a day at the University of Cambridge Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology during the summer holidays, in additional to attending a reception at a Cambridge college, securing a cash prize and the winners’ trophy.
Ella explained: “We have come up with this prototype design for a luminescent solar panel that uses physics and chemistry to quickly and sustainably harness photons from the sun to power CO2 monitors in classrooms. Because of Covid CO2 levels were being monitored a lot more and it has been proven that high levels have a strongly negative impact on students’ learning in lessons and in examinations. We wanted to use the project to create a tool that helps schools to more cheaply and sustainably monitor CO2 levels so they can know when to ventilate the room or in exam situations, when to give special consideration to candidates, because of the air quality. It has such a detrimental effect on students’ wellbeing. We’ve spoken with the mentors at Cambridge and they think our idea is really good. They are really excited to maybe put the prototype into physical form if we are successful in the challenge.”
Looking to the future, the team have ambitions for the Davidson Inventors Challenge becoming a fixture in the Leighton Park STEM calendar. Ella continued: “Next year we might be able to offer this as a co-curricular club to the year below; the incoming Year 12s. It would be really good to keep this going forward. I know there are a lot of other girls in the lower school who are very interested in STEM. The STEMinists Club had a lot of good responses and there are new STEM clubs too like Dissection Club now. I definitely want to help create a space for girls to explore their interests.”
The girls have their own STEM ambitions with their collective sights set on careers in medicine, quantum physics and marine biology. The variety of science subjects that they share, in addition to Music and Art specialisms, across their A Level and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programmes gives them a wealth of ideas and scientific insight. Ella concluded: “It’s a project that you definitely have to do as a team and it’s so rewarding. We are all very interested in our areas and I think we work well together to share the information that we each bring.”
Leighton Park’s focus on future readiness encourages students to develop their skills and pursue their ambitions, particularly in the field of STEAM, which is an academic strength of the school. You can find out more about our STEAM academic approach here.
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