What is Girls STEM Up?
Girls STEM Up is collectively 28 undergraduate women in STEM, based in Fredericton and Saint John, NB, who are passionate about bridging the gap of gender inequity in STEM fields, focusing on intersectionality. GSU was founded in 2019, with the goal of sparking necessary discussions and changing the perception of women in STEM. We have since expanded to include 300+ general members, high school ambassadors, and volunteers.
Our experiences as underrepresented individuals in STEM have brought us together to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity in these fields through representation, awareness, and education.
Our Mission
We proudly host an annual conference celebrating women in STEM’s achievements. Our event provides an extraordinary platform for women, girls, and other gender minorities to connect with like-minded individuals, exchange valuable knowledge, and shine spotlight to incredible success stories in STEM. This, in turn, ignites passion in those pursuing STEM careers. Our sixth edition of the conference GSU: Connect and Conquer will take place on February 15, 2025.
Beyond the conference, we stay engaged in the STEM community year-round through social media and outreach efforts. Our mission is to leave a meaningful imprint on girls choosing to pursue STEM fields while increasing engagement and fostering greater respect for women in STEM domains.
Reduced enrollment in STEM programs for women and girls is an issue we wish to address, but we want to overturn the disproportionate challenges that contribute to the loss of women in STEM as they reach upper years and career pursuits. In Canada, 11.8% of female high school graduates will enroll in a STEM-based bachelor’s degree, yet only 6.5% will graduate (Statistics Canada, 2021). Women make up less than 25% of people employed in STEM careers in Canada (Safety Commission of Canada, 2023). Our goal is to expose youth to female role models, which will have a positive impact on women’s interest in STEM education and career pathways (Zachmann, 2018).
Impact
Being our sixth iteration of the conference, we can confidently say that our vision and project are well received and sustainable for future years. Each year of GSU that passes we continue to recruit more girls, women, and marginalized folks to join the conversation, grow our team, and carry on the GSU legacy. Our GSU alumni remain involved in the conference in many capacities including training, mentorship, and conference participation. Past conferences have hosted 200+ delegates, respectively, each with about 20 participating speakers. Our delegates included participants from all over the Maritimes, with both high school and university attendees. GSU’s online presence has allowed us to reach as far as the State of Ohio. We plan on showing delegates the many paths to STEM and will highlight many disciplines including engineering, healthcare, computer science, and life sciences.