“Women in STEM” is the name of the unprecedented project of the US Embassy and ONR, which is being implemented for the first time in Latin America and which involves the installation of FabLabs, training and support to promote the development of science and technology, in students – especially women – of municipal educational institutions of the Municipal Foundation of Villa Alemana .
In a ceremony held at the Technological High School of Villa Alemana, in which all the municipal educational communities of the municipality participated, the authorities of the United States Embassy and the Official Marine Research (ONR) gave this Friday a “Let’s Go” to a great project to be implemented jointly with the Catholic University of Valparaiso and the Foundation Municipality of Villa Alemana.
This is the “Women in STEM” program, a project that is being implemented in Latin America for the first time, where Villa Alemana is the number one city in the entire continent, and whose main objective is to promote the development of students, especially female students and students with socially marginalized identities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics ( science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
It is a research and development project, in which work will be done in an interdisciplinary manner with different faculties of the PUCV, which will make it possible to install Fablabs, carry out teacher training and design and implement a community research center. In addition, methods for educational enrichment experiences will be designed and implemented through internships and psychosocial support for students and their families.
The Mayor of Villa Alemana, Gavira Toledo, confirmed that this project comes to reduce the gender gap that currently exists in many areas of knowledge. Technology and science jobs usually consist of the vast majority of men. And what about women? Is it discouraging to them or are there no opportunities in our country to be able to realize the dreams that every one of us has? That is why we are very happy that Villa Alemana has become the first center of technology, science and engineering in Latin America, and that it is gender-focused, so that women have the opportunity to be who they want to be, especially in a masculine world. . Like science, technology and engineering, the society president said.
The Undersecretary for Women’s Affairs and Gender Equality, Luz Pascuala Vidal, was present at the activity, who expressed his appreciation for this initiative, noting that “we celebrate the Mayor, for managing the possibility of support, with the US Embassy. We congratulate the openness that exists in international organizations and institutions in sister countries that can accompany us. The development of countries is also a shared responsibility, just as we do today as a government.
We can give them the tools.
Admiral Lorraine Selby, Chief of Naval Research for the Official Naval Research (ONR), referred to the program, saying, “I think it’s very important that we get our kids excited about science and technology and hopefully keep them motivated to pursue these types of races. I think we can find ways to give them the tools, And keeping them interested in these areas of study, and trying to find ways to guide them and put them in positions where we hope one day they can change the world for the better.”
For his part, David Contreras, General Director of Links with the Environment at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso, emphasized that “STEM tools allow girls and young men direct access to tools, developing scientific principles directly, not in theory. In this way, it translates into realistic elements the possibility of building science, not only in the laboratory field, but also of developing scientific competencies as proposed today in school curricula. Therefore, the more our girls and boys develop scientific skills, the more citizenship and democracy the country will have.
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