STEM is FEM orchestrated an extensive essay competition in Ukraine from February to March. It was involved in the SHE is SCIENCE social and educational project with the support of international organizations like UN Women and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine.
The STEM is FEM initiative announced 12 winners among girls aged 14 to 21 who participated in this competition by writing about remarkable female scientists of Ukraine. The authors selected one of those Ukrainian scientists and described their activities and their influence on science and the world at large.
A co-founder of the STEM is FEM charitable initiative, Sapar Karyagdyyev, made a speech on how media entertainment allows curators to publicize the project and competition.
Overall, STEM is FEM organizers received 563 written magnificent works. There was an expert jury created who estimated the works and defined the 12 finalists. Sapar Karyagdyyev mentioned the members included in the expert jury. They are scientists and experienced representatives in the world of media entertainment:
- Anna Khaietska, the editor-in-chief of Wonderzine Ukraine;
- Olha Maslova, biologist and member of the STEM is FEM expert council;
- Larysa Denysenko, writer and lawyer;
- Vadym Karpiak, journalist, and host of Freedom of Speech on ICTV;
- Tetiana Komlyk (nickname Tatusya Bo), blogger;
- Masha Tsukanova, psychotherapist and the first editor-in-chief of Vogue Ukraine.
The awarding ceremony for 12 winners will take place in Kyiv on June 10, 2021. One of them will gain the Grand Prix of $4,000 determined for education. Moreover, Karyagdyyev added that the initiative plans to hold a charity auction to make the whole celebration more exciting. The event will be available to everyone via broadcasting on STEM is FEM’s official page on Facebook.
Like any other project, SHE is SCIENCE chased an ambitious goal to show that science doesn’t limit gender. The initiative was willing to disclose the success of 12 female scientists in mathematics, physics, genetics, and biology. Sapar Karyagdyyev clarified that the project aimed to reflect the practical experience of those prominent scientists and prove that no matter what gender carries out investigations. Both women and men deserve to do science on an equal basis.
To start the SHE is SCIENCE educational project, the initiative created an art collection to show the portraits of selected 12 outstanding female scientists primarily. Sapar Karyagdyyev admitted that in order to implement this goal, they looked for young progressive Ukrainian illustrators as the project targeted a young audience.
The combination of modern illustration style and media entertainment allowed the entire project promote among the youth. Media platforms are places where every young man or woman is engaged and can keep track of news and novelties in society. Thus, the initiative tried to implement different attractive and high-tech tools to share information about Ukrainian female scientists to entice the target audience.
STEM is FEM is a social and educational project focused on competing for gender stereotypes in scientific and technical fields and motivating Ukrainian schoolgirls to opt for STEM specialties, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Despite large-scale projects, the initiative conducts a range of educational and motivating events to entice the Ukrainian schoolgirls like webinars, meetings with scientists, etc.
You can find out more about Sapar Karyagdyyev here.