More than 350 girls from schools in and around Drachten will experience Drachten's high tech on Thursday, April 14, during Girlsday. They will experience that it is fun and challenging to work with technology and ICT. Philips, BD and Whisper Power, three companies of Innovatiecluster Drachten, will open their doors that day with a special ‘girls program’.
Girlsday is a national campaign to introduce girls aged 10 to 15 to technology and ICT. The girls can participate in interesting activities specially organized for them and get acquainted with STEM activities in daily professional practice. In Fryslân as many as 17 companies are participating, including the high-tech companies Philips Drachten, BD and Whisper Power. Of the 25 participating schools in the province, more than 350 students will come and meet the high-tech companies in Drachten.
retain talent
Much female STEM talent goes to waste because girls often have no idea what a technical profession entails. By participating in Girlsday, the companies of Innovatiecluster Drachten are helping to broaden these girls' view of engineering and influence their career choices. Familiarity makes people popular, so girls are more likely to choose STEM if they have been introduced to it.
Program
At the Philips Drachten, BD and WhisperPower locations, there are two programs from 8:45 a.m. to noon and from 12:45 to 4 p.m.
Philips Drachten
The contestants are given assignments related to beauty and body care. Where are the faults in the shaver and who best shaves a goat mat? In the hair dryer challenge, the girls can show other hidden talents. As well as in the assignments how to use a vacuum cleaner as a cannon and the magic of 3D. With Sonicare, the girls learn how energy is generated and what you can do with it.
BD
The girls experience the Star Light Experience of high-tech company Photonis, where they look with night vision goggles. BD lets the girls experience how petri dishes and high tech go together to save lives.
WhisperPower
High-tech company Variass invites the girls to make something with sun, wind and water with Little Bits, blocks with elementary electronic functions. And Resato International shows how you can operate a waterjet cutter with 3D glasses and virtual reality.
Facebook photo contest
In addition to these activities and workshops, the girls can participate in a Facebook photo contest. We invite the participants to take pictures during the workshops which they can post on the Girlsday Facebook page. From these photos a number of winning photos will be selected which will of course be shared on the Facebook pages of Girlsday and Innovatiecluster Drachten. The winners will receive a nice gift.