Hands-on experiences inspire girls to look at chemistry careers
An inspiring project showcased the opportunities in the chemical sciences to girls at a specialist autistic school.
By Jo Montgomery CSciTeach (Science Education Consultant, Dr Jo Science Solutions)
The ‘Careers in Chemistry: Focus for Autistic Girls’ project featured a series of interactive workshops designed to highlight the options open to young people.
Demonstrating how chemistry is making the world a better place through a focus on careers and hands-on opportunities, the sessions were a real hit.
Using career profiles and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s ‘A Future in Chemistry website’ as starting points, the girls got an idea of what they could achieve if they want to pursue a career in STEM.
Relevant practical investigations also gave them a chance to put their passion into practice as they explored:
- Plastics: how they are made, different types, recycling and re-use
- Microplastics: how they are produced, what the issues are, and how we can solve problems
- Oil spills: environmental effects, methods of removal, protection of wildlife
- Careers in chemistry that make the world a better place, through research, card sorts and discussions.
An RSC Outreach Fund grant funded the purchase of resources for practical explorations and enabled an expert to engage with the girls to explore chemistry in an engaging and meaningful context.
As a result, the girls participated in some hands-on chemistry investigations that wouldn’t otherwise be open to them and increased their understanding of different careers and possibilities, building science capital and challenging perceptions to show that chemistry might be for them.
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