On Thursday, April 10, hundreds of enthusiastic girls participated in Girlsday 2025 - a national day when companies in STEM, engineering and IT open their doors to girls between the ages of 10 and 15. Again this year, several companies from the Innovatiecluster Drachten (ICD) along to inspire young talent for a future in engineering. ASTRON, BD Kiestra, Philips and SRON each organized an interactive and surprising day full of technology, creativity and innovation.
A look into the universe at ASTRON
Bee ASTRON in Dwingeloo, the girls discovered the magical world of radio astronomy. They got to work themselves with soldering, programming and building a telescope and pulsar model. They also learned how telescopes around the world work together to image the universe. Ellemijn Bos, event coordinator at ASTRON: “It's great to show young girls what is possible in the world of science and engineering. We hope to inspire the next generation of explorers this way.” look at here the enthusiasm of the girls in the picture.
Engineering and teamwork at BD Kiestra
Also at BD Kiestra in Drachten, the atmosphere was exuberant. Several workshops were held at their location that focused on technology and collaboration. The girls discovered how medical technologies contribute to the care of tomorrow.
Creative challenges at Philips
Bee Philips was busy: 90 girls were welcomed in the morning, another 70 in the afternoon, and they attended workshops such as building a bouncy ball and an escape room assignment. Scores were high: an 8.0 average for the girls' experience, and even an 8.8 among the facilitators. Most inspiring outcome? 45% of participants said they were more interested in engineering after the event!
Discovering space technology at SRON
Bee SRON girls were taken into the world of space research. They learned how technologies are developed for satellites that study our Earth and the universe. During interactive sessions, they discovered how science and technology come together to solve global issues. SRON shares on LinkedIn An atmospheric impression of this inspiring day.
Why Girlsday is important
The number of women in engineering is still low. Girlsday shows how important it is to be introduced to this world at a young age. By letting girls experience for themselves how fun, diverse and challenging engineering can be, we hope to build a more inclusive future in technology together.
The ICD is proud of the contribution of its partners to this great day. Together, we continue to invest in young talent - because innovation starts with curiosity.
Want to learn more about Girlsday or how your organization can contribute to talent development in engineering? Check out www.vhto.nl