We believe fostering female scientists of the future starts much earlier in life, which is why, to mark the tenth anniversary of L’Oréal’s For Women in Science, we linked up with L’Oréal to inspire women in science.
Working with the L’Oréal team, we paired inspirational women in science with primary schools, to help instill a love of the sciences at a young age, and to excite them about the possibilities of a science-based job. Because by encouraging more scientists into schools and opening children’s eyes to the range of careers that science leads to, we can help bring those possibilities to life. By introducing young girls to female role models working in science, we can help make scientific jobs feel both exciting and attainable.
Anne Lyons, President of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said:
“Role models from the world of work can have a big impact on children – they can help them see why the subject they are studying matter. It also helps to tackle the stereotypes children have from a young age which lead them to think that certain subjects and careers are not for them. We know that children from the age of 5 often stereotype the jobs people do according to their gender – and this is particularly the case in science. That is why we are keen to get more volunteers who work in science to volunteer an hour of their time to visit a local school and chat to young people about their job and career route.”
2018 update
Since the launch, 521 female role models from all over the country have signed up to go to into schools and inspire young girls. Women from a range of a science-based careers, and at different stages in the career have signed up – from PhD students and apprentices to Senior Scientists and Managing Directors. A Higher Pharmacopoeial Scientist, Resource Geologist, Food Technologist and Dentist in the Royal Air Force are just a few examples of the job roles of the inspiring women who have signed up.
Activities showcasing the contribution of women in science have been taking place in schools across the country, with 75 events in primary schools attended by a female science volunteer.
Vismay Sharma, Managing Director of L’Oréal UK & Ireland, commented:
“We hope that by showcasing female scientists in schools we can encourage children to feel confident and enthusiastic about science, and ultimately motivated to continue exploring this exciting sector. As part of this, we especially want to inspire girls and boost the number of female scientists in the UK.”
Want to get involved?
We’re looking for more women whose jobs use science, from all levels to register and commit to a minimum of an hour a year to go into local primary schools and inspire more young female scientists.
Getting involved is simple:
- Use this link to register as a volunteer with Inspiring the Future and complete our quick registration process adding the postcodes you can volunteer from and information about your role. Don’t forget to select ‘L’Oréal ForWomenInscience’ to let us know how you heard about us
- Select ‘Career Insights’ as an activity and any other activities you are interested in
- Once registered, you will receive an email with more information
- Respond to invitations from schools that will arrive directly to your inbox and use our interactive maps to search for opportunities near you
- Connect with the teacher to plan your activity, whether that’s giving a classroom talk, participating in a What’s my line? activity with other volunteers or delivering an interactive workshop.
Information for Schools:
If you are a teacher and would like to to invite local women to come in to your school and inspire children about the possibilities of a science-based job, you will need to be registered with Inspiring the Future. You can sign up here.
Once registered, please log in to your Primary Futures account. You can then search for volunteers local to your school using our interactive maps and filter using the sector ‘Science/Technology’.
