This new technological era is boosting confidence in young girls one virtual event at a time.
While there is still a large gap between the representation of female, male and nonbinary individuals in the engineering community, there is one thing that is bridging the two together: virtual events.
Women account for more than half of the college-educated workforce; however, they make up less than a quarter of those employed in science and engineering occupations.
The solution to solving this underrepresentation comes down to building confidence in young students through encouragement, mentorship, and open communication. All of these factors can be achieved in an inclusive environment where people can share their work. And that’s exactly what ProjectBoard aims to do. The platform has collaborated with schools, universities and numerous STEM organizations to host STEM events for students. These virtual events open new pathways for women to create an awareness for their work and encourage them to continue down the STEM path.
“ProjectBoard encourages people to be part of an event and engage on the platform. It encourages people to post something that others can like, follow, share, comment, etc.,” said Renata Vaccaro, cofounder of ProjectBoard and chief technology officer of engineering.com.
The platform aims to showcase student work and create meaningful connections through engagement, recognition and feedback. It aims to bring the excitement of physical spaces to an online world where people can have real-time conversations and build a lasting impression that extends beyond an event.
Virtual events can also minimize obvious signs of power and hierarchy, which helps everyone feel empowered to speak, encouraging diversity and equitable opportunities. It can also build trust, security and support for interpersonal risk-taking as well as provide a more engaging environment.
Regeneron’s International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), dubbed the “Olympics of science fairs,” recently partnered with ProjectBoard to host a global fair with nearly 1,500 projects submitted by some of the brightest high school students from around the world. In what was one of the largest-ever competitions in ISEF history, finalists displayed their projects online. Recently, Youth Science Canada also encouraged students across Canada to share their projects online. Each student had the opportunity to answer key questions about their project such as the inspiration and process of their work. In both instances, students were able to connect with professional scientists, engineers and mathematicians from around the world.
“When there’s a diverse community, it makes it easier for people to feel like they can participate even if they’re a minority. We’ve worked really hard to have an inclusive environment. We’ve made it part of the registration to promise [that users are] positive and productive,” said Vaccaro. “When it’s online, it’s much easier for people who are shyer or introverted to participate online. Users can think about what they want to contribute.”
ISEF awarded $5 million in prizes to finalists from nearly 400 affiliate fairs in 64 countries, regions and territories. Students were also rewarded for their hard work through virtual awards or shout-outs. Recognition can help students feel valued and thus increase their engagement, motivation and productivity.
Events like these also allow women who are already leading in their careers to connect one-on-one with young students and help girls consider STEM fields as possible career choices. Female students can also discuss any fears or inhibitions they may have with women who are already working in the profession. Mentorship and connections can help boost the confidence of women who want to pursue a career in the field.
“When you go to https://projectboard.world/about, there are two female founders, which is more welcoming to other women knowing that women are behind the curtain. [Girls] can find a greater world out there that [they] can connect with through these virtual events.… ProjectBoard’s large community of universities, schools and fairs means there are more people who can be role models,” noted Vaccaro.
Jennifer Scott, the executive vice president of Strategic Partnerships and Events at the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), states that virtual events are receiving more engagement and helping people at all levels of the engineering pipeline understand what it’s like to work in STEM fields.
“We [are] able to engage more students than ever and be able to connect them with near-peer role models from colleges, but also from industry who are in different engineering technology disciplines. Leveraging the text chat feature has enabled more people to use their voice, especially when you attend a big meeting, … so you can have the chat off to the side. We do see a lot more engagement from women who are as afraid to put their questions out there to the group [pre-social distancing],” said Scott. With over 40,000 members, SWE is empowering women to excel in engineering and technology professions to increase their quality of life while maintaining diversity and inclusion.
Not only does this serve as a mentorship opportunity for young women, but it also provides a chance for women in the field to network with others to boost allyship in a given STEM field. Allyship can be used as a “strategic mechanism” to fight injustice and promote equity in the workplace through support, advocacy and open dialogue. It can also improve workplace policies, practices and culture for better equality.
“It’s helping more women get back to the workplace by participating in virtual events and recruiting events and potentially advancing their career by being virtual. [These] allow women to network more broadly than they normally would in their current peer environment and feel more comfortable networking in the virtual world. They can network beyond their own city, so they’re networking globally,” said Scott.
Vaccaro had the opportunity to network with her peers at the recent Youth Science Canada fair. She said, “I was a judge for the event last week. It was a very gender-balanced group of judges. I know one team was entirely female and all the judges were really impressive role models.”
A 2019 study conducted by BetterUp Inc found that a high sense of belonging was linked to a whopping 56 percent increase in job performance, a 50 percent reduction in turnover risk, and a 75 percent decrease in sick days. Once a woman feels like they belong in the engineering community, they are more prone to be motivated and have pride in what they do. This leads to more innovative ideas, healthy discussions and deeper relationships, as well as a greater representation of diversity in the industry.
While the industry has adapted to the virtual world, questions remain about whether women will feel the sense of confidence or belonging post-pandemic.
“How are we going to move into the next phase and what does that look like? Do companies remain completely virtual? Is there a hybrid approach? Do people have to go completely back to the office? It’s an interesting challenge to have,” said Scott.
