Teen-Turn launches girls in STEM afterschool programme for 2019

Teen-Turn, which was the EU wide digital impact organisation of the year 2017, connects girls from DEIS secondary schools with STEM role models from Ireland’s leading companies through hands-on learning activities in order to tackle the deficit of young women in STEM careers and promote social inclusion.

Today Teen-Turn launches its 2019 after school programme today at The Digital Hub, with 200 girls and as many as 200 mentors expected to participate in the coming year. Teen-Turn mentors are female engineers, data scientists, technology architects and senior managers in leading companies including multinationals Intel, IBM, Murex and Zendesk.

The girls, who come from DEIS schools throughout Ireland, are given the opportunity to experience firsthand what it is to work on science and technology projects mentored by female role models for thirteen-week after school sessions every spring and autumn.

Teen-Turn believe that more girls, from areas where third level education is uncommon, exploring and gaining an interest in science and technology will lead to more women earning these qualifications, thus meeting the current demand for STEM skills.

The participants will be learning from their mentors and doing a number of activities throughout the year comprising of researching and developing projects for science fairs like SciFest and BT Young Scientist as well as creating social enterprises and developing apps for Technovation.

The girls will also have the opportunity to join nearly 100 others who gain work experience in STEM career environments during Teen-Turn’s summer placements in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.