UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine, together with the Lviv Open Lab, a youth space for science promotion and STEAM education, implemented a project "Ambassadors of Science".
The goal of this project on gender-sensitive popularization of science among educators is to demonstrate that science is interesting and simple, as well as to teach scientists to present themselves and their research.
I consider it necessary not only to pass on knowledge and skills to young people but also to be a messenger of meaning, new values, and principles; to change not only understanding and perception but also to motivate them to create a new post-war reality with more innovative tools; to act not as a transmitter of information, but as a competent specialist, - commented Anna, a biotechnologist, scientist, and teacher, one of the project participants.
The project aims to break down myths and prejudices about boring science, gender stereotypes in STEAM fields, and provide useful practical advice on gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory teaching. And, of course, to be a driving force behind the popularization of science among women and girls.
The special project was implemented in three stages:
- Interactive learning in the form of a 2-day training, where participants covered such topics as online tools for presenting material, neurodiversity, hate speech, a debate scheme, the concept of the stereotype trap, storytelling features, the use of femininities and gender-neutral words, tools, and methods for motivating students and teachers.
- Interactive gender-sensitive public speeches for an audience of young people.
- An evening of stories "Openly about science" in the format of storytelling, during which teachers and lecturers of STEM subjects tried themselves as speakers and presented public speeches, where they shared stories about their own victories and failures, life and professional experience, research, and personalities of famous scientists.
The project also developed a methodological guide "How to talk about science and yourself in it. Practical tips for popularizing science in gender-sensitive STEAM teaching" and short videos with life hacks for gender-sensitive science popularization for educators and scientists.
The guide "How to talk about science and yourself in it"
The guide will be of interest to those who want to popularize science, fight stereotypes, promote gender-sensitive teaching, and increase interest in STEAM fields.
The guide covers the following topics in detail:
- Gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory STEAM teaching
- When, to whom, how, and why we talk about science
- Public speaking
- Video content in STEAM popularization
- What is simple language
- Personal brand
The purpose of the guide is to provide guidance on how girls and women, in particular, can popularize STEAM and to warn of possible pitfalls along the way, such as hesitation about self-presentation.
Videos with tips on gender-sensitive science popularization
Topics of the videos:
* "Gender-sensitive teaching". In this video, the participants of the Science Ambassadors project talk about the need to highlight the contribution of women scientists to the development of their field and gender-sensitive teaching.
* "Non-discriminatory language matters". The speakers talk about the use of feminine gender and the importance of using non-discriminatory language in public speaking.
* "To whom, how, and why do we talk about science". The heroines of the videos share information about the formats of science popularization in STEAM teaching and resources with Ukrainian-language educational content.
* "How to create your own brand as a scientist". The project participants talk about the importance of developing a personal brand for a scientist, self-presentation, and formats for maintaining their own pages on social media.
The project "Ambassadors of Science" was conducted by Lviv Open Lab within the framework of the project "Springboard to Equality" which is implemented by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine, in partnership with the Office of the Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration with financial support from Sweden.