Last weekend marked a truly impactful “Women in STEM” conference in partnership with Green Light 4 Girls – g4g, uniting 200 enthusiastic young women for a full Saturday of immersive STEM labs guided by dedicated scientists and researchers. Sunday culminated in a powerful Women in STEM conference, poster here, conference featuring eight remarkable women leaders in STEM – Melissa Rancourt, Ila Glennie, Herlinde M., Charlotte Phillips Salvador, Elena Toson, Roberta Zanini Gaya Spolverato, and Virginia Jacquemod from BioDesign Foundation.
Their insights and journeys served as a potent reminder of the vital role diverse perspectives play in scientific and technological progress. 20+ DP1 enthusiastic volunteers joined from H-FARM, young enthusiastic volunteers immersed themselves in this meaningful event in diverse ways, ranging from interactive conversations with passionate female research communities to lab assisting with hands-on fun scientific activities. Let’s hear what exciting stories our future females in science from H-FARM have to share!
Volunteers Reflections:
“Volunteering with g4g was a truly eye-opening experience for me. I realized that no matter your background or starting point, hard work always prevails, and that persistence and passion can open doors you never imagined. Being part of a team that supported and inspired young girls made me more aware of the impact of role models and the importance of representation in STEM. “ by Alexandra Bengtsson, DP1 student
“Working as a volunteer with g4g was a really fulfilling experience that improved my leadership and communication abilities while inspiring young girls to discover STEM in an entertaining and interesting way. Their excitement and interest were admirable, and it made me realize how critical it is to encourage and support upcoming generations of women in science. Because they provided an insight into the varied experiences of women in STEM, Sunday’s career speeches had a particularly significant impact. Dr. Gaya Spolverato’s accomplishments in surgical oncology and commitment to enhancing healthcare worldwide really motivated me. Her narrative reaffirmed my love for medicine and demonstrated the positive influence a strong, caring woman can have in the industry.” by Caterina Carli, DP1 student
“Last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to take part in a Greenlight 4 Girls event at H-FARM International School. As a volunteer, my participation consisted of assistance in the workshops on Saturday and moderating the presentation event on Sunday. On Saturday, we welcomed around 200 girls from all over Veneto and Lombardy to our campus in which we prepared a series of workshops ranging from physics and engineering-based projects, to maths and chemistry experiments with all our volunteers. The girls explored different fields of STEM, allowing them to discover potential passions for their careers. As someone who is looking to study chemical engineering at university, it was very inspirational to see younger girls engage in workshops that could help shape their future. On Sunday we welcomed a panel of 8 female scientists who spoke to our audience about their lives and their struggles as women in STEM. Our audience also had the chance to speak to each panelist in the second part of the morning, asking them more specific questions about their fields of work and interest. The weekend in its entirety was a fantastic experience and opportunity for myself and other volunteers, as I hope it was for the young girls that took part.” by Nina Hattersley, DP1 student
Participants reflections:
“During my experience at the g4g can only be described as interesting, fun and amazing. As a participant, I had two workshops in which I learned a lot and I really enjoyed the dynamic. The first workshop was a lesson on slime and how some liquids react to others, all our activities was clear; we got to choose the colour and the glitter!!! The second activity was based on math and solving problems connected to daily life. I appreciated how interactive it was and how we got to spend time outside by doing other two activities that work connected to math and physics. Another skill that we used was teamwork. The maths activity really consisted in group work communication and collaboration which were essential. During the talks, I found my role model; I admire the determination and work of Gaya Spolverato who made her way in the medical field, becoming the first woman head of the hospital in Padua. Another really inspiring person was Herlinde Mannaerts-Dree who entered the field of engineering, due to her passion to STEM, what created a connection between us was the fact that she managed scientific subjects and dance at the same time, I aspire to become like these two women; strong, determinated, and passionate in what they do.” by Sofia Caterina Barbaro, MYP1
“The first thing that struck me when I arrived at the g4g STEM meeting point was the amount of girls from different schools who had signed up for this amazing activity. It was great to be able to share ideas with people we don’t normally work with. There were many workshops, but the ones I enjoyed the most were: Biology, where we could see insects and minerals through a microscope; and Engineering, where we had to build a resistant yet tall construction out of different types of pasta and marshmallows. The women in STEM were all incredible and their answers to our questions were very interesting. However, I was really inspired by Gaya, the surgeon, because she faced many challenges and still managed to become a great part of STEM. Listening to her answers gave courage to all the girls present to not be afraid to enter the STEM world, and to never give up in doing it.” Emma De Silvestro, MYP1
“As a participant in g4g, I felt incredibly inspired and motivated by the whole experience. The workshops were engaging, practical, and full of insight, offering a mix of hands-on learning and valuable knowledge from industry experts. I especially enjoyed the coding and problem-solving workshops, as they were not only fun but also pushed me to think critically and creatively. The interactive nature of the sessions made complex concepts more accessible, and it was great to see women actively participating and leading these discussions. The Women in STEM speakers were truly empowering, but one speaker who particularly stood out to me was Charlotte. Her journey was so relatable and inspiring—she spoke about the challenges she faced. It made me realize how much potential there is for women in tech to break barriers and support one another along the way.” by Gaia Roman, MYP1
