EY launches technology platform in schools to enable STEM learning for girls
Ernst & Young, recently announced the development of a mobile platform, EY STEM Tribe, to help girls in 13-18 years age group engage in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curriculum and pursue high-growth careers.
India is the first country to launch the global initiative that will provide an entertaining and gamified STEM learning experience to over 6,000 girls in Delhi NCR.
The EY STEM Tribe digital platform forms a part of EY's global Women in Technology movement, aimed at accelerating gender parity in the technology space and reinforcing the organization's purpose of building a better working world. Following the launch in India with Delhi NCR, EY will take this to schools in the United States, starting with Seattle and Atlanta.
Available for free on Android and iOS platforms, the EY STEM Tribe mobile app features modules on science, such as climate change, space exploration; technology, such as artificial intelligence, 3D printing or blockchain; the future of work and skills that may be required for future; and inspirational stories of women in STEM. The STEM curriculum on the platform are developed with leading educational institutions around the world. Parents and teachers will also have access to the platform to highlight the need for them to encourage girls to explore STEM as a career choice.
"As technology continues to shape the future, it has become imperative to provide equal opportunity for girls to pursue high-growth STEM careers. We are pleased to launch this global initiative in India, that will enable STEM learning for 6000 girls across 45 private and government schools in Delhi NCR, and has the potential to scale rapidly, empowering young girls to learn STEM in a pragmatic and contemporary manner", stated Rajiv Memani, Chairman and Regional Managing Partner, EY India.
According to EY future of jobs report, by 2022, 37% of Indian workforce would be employed in jobs that have radically changed skill sets and 9% would be deployed in new job roles that do not exist today.
Developed in collaboration with Tribal Planet, a Silicon Valley based company that develops innovative platforms and ecosystems to engage global citizens around social impact priorities, the EY STEM Tribe platform enables girls to choose topics based on their interests. The app will soon be available in Atlanta and Seattle.
The EY STEM Tribe platform is fully aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Goals and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) framework for transferrable skills, such as analytical thinking or problem-solving.
"Technology jobs are increasing – but so is the gender gap. As a result, we need to change the talent pipeline and address this gap, lighting the spark to help ensure that women have equal chances to enter, remain and thrive in the technology industry", said Amanda Gethin, EY Global Talent Leader, Advisory.
To help incentivize learning, the girls can earn points as they complete an activity, such as reading an article, interviewing members of their community, completing an experiment or watching a video. As girls build their "rewards wallet" and see points accumulate, they redeem points in three ways: fun rewards include STEM-related products; important rewards include work shadowing opportunities or virtual mentoring sessions on topics such as building a CV, honing interviewing skills or understanding how millennials engage in the workplace; or lasting rewards, where they choose to donate their points to a non-profit cause of their choice related to empowerment of girls and women. The point donations are converted into a monetary donation by Tribal Planet to the non-profit.
In addition to earning rewards points, girls earn digital badges aligned with the UN SDGs to help them better understand the goals and empower them to have a personal impact related to the SDGs they care about the most. As they participate in SDG-related activities, their badge levels increase.
The EY Women in Technology movement was formed to create an inclusive culture to successfully harness technology's potential to truly transform society. EY supports women in tech through education by investing in educational products and programs that drive awareness and participation that encourages girls and women to enter and remain in STEM fields of study and careers.