On April 12, 2024, young girls between the ages of 10 and 15 came together at innovative companies such as Philips Drachten, BD, Hytrans, Astron, SRON, Resato and Photonis for the annual Girlsday. This event, an initiative of VHTO, is designed to introduce girls to the fascinating world of technology, science and ICT.
Inspiring activities at leading technology companies
BD, together with Hytrans Systems from Lemmer, organized an interactive program at their production location in Drachten. About 90 girls were welcomed and were able to take a look at the production and carry out technical assignments themselves. One of the highlights was making a fiber optic light fan themselves, where they could immediately see the result of their work. An explanation was also given about how BD machines contribute to the research of bacteria. Outside, Hytrans Systems provided an impressive workshop on 'High Water Pressure', which aroused a lot of interest among the participants.
A deep dive into space research at SRON
Bee SRON 57 girls from three secondary schools in Leiden and Groningen delved into the world of space research at the Kapteyn Institute and NOVA. This interactive day offered the young participants an opportunity to experiment with light, soldering and work with satellite data. Female role models from astronomy, earth research and planetary research shared their experiences and showed how women play a crucial role in developing instruments for telescopes and satellites, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, the future Plato telescope and the ALMA telescope.
A tour of the Blaauw Observatory, guided by Marit Bonne from VHTO, was another highlight of the day.
Girls go Technic' at Resato and Photonis
resato organized together with Photonis the 'Girls go Technic' day, during which three workshops provided insight into various technical disciplines. The participants looked through night vision goggles at Photonis, were introduced to high-pressure equipment at Resato High Pressure and learned about the technology behind cutting with a water cutting machine at Resato Waterjet. At Resato Hydrogen Technology, the production of hydrogen filling stations was even explored.
Philips Drachten inspires young talent
At the development and production location Philips In Drachten, approximately 200 girls were welcomed by Esther Vredeveld, R&D program manager Female Depilation, and Ineta Stankute from Physics, Materials & Chemistry. They shared their passion for technology and showed the girls around OneBlade's innovative facilities. The participants were able to make their own bouncy ball and phone holder and were particularly enthusiastic about putting together a race car with the OneBlade Intimate drive, which they could then test on a specially constructed race track.
A unique approach to Girlsday and science education at ASTRON
ASTRON organized their Girlsday on a different date than the national Girlsday and was involved in the international project 'Sharing a Baseline'. This project, in collaboration with other radio astronomy institutes, is aimed at increasing the scientific knowledge ('science capital') of students. During a visit by students from Wolfsbos Hoogeveen to ASTRON, which is part of this project, a radio report was made by RTV Drenthe. This visit and Astron's efforts will help students gain a better understanding of what science is and what you can do with it.
Jessica Dempsey, director at Astron, emphasized in a video report by RTV Drenthe the need for more women in science, a message that is in line with the objectives of Girlsday. Watch the video report below.
Media attention and social media
The day also attracted media attention, with RTV Noord reporting on the enthusiastic responses of the participants. Although some said it was fun to do, they doubted whether a career in technology is for them. This emphasizes the importance of initiatives such as Girls Day to make young girls more familiar with and enthusiastic about technical professions.
Links for more information
The feedback and experiences of the day were recorded and shared via social media. For example, SRON posted a retrospective video on their channels, reaching a wide audience. For more information about the activities and reactions of the participants, please consult the following links:
- Girls Day 2024 – 57 girls dive into space research (SRON News)
- Girls on Girls Day: “This is fun to do, but not as work” (RTV Noord Article)
- Astron director Jessica Dempsey: 'The time is over when we did not want women in science‘
- and listen to the radio report of the visit to ASTRON: Studio Steenbergen, item about Astron (after about 20 minutes).
The commitment of these companies and the passion of their employees make Girlsday an unforgettable experience and a powerful platform for future generations of women in technology and science.