The School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering buzzed with excitement recently as it welcomed over 60 enthusiastic schoolgirls from across the UK for its successful 'Girls into Electronics' event, co-organised with the UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF). The day-long event was designed to ignite passion and curiosity towards the world of electronics engineering amongst young girls and offered a blend of insightful talks, interactive lab sessions, networking opportunities and student project exhibitions.
A warm welcome in the Diamond Building set an energetic tone for the day. After a brief introduction to the fascinating field of electrical and electronic engineering, the young students were treated to a lecture covering robotics, AI, and processing of physiological signals, followed by a presentation by Apple engineers.
Throughout the day, practical sessions brought these engineering concepts to life. A highlight was the "Build Your Own Circuit" session, where students learned the basics of circuit design and assembly, seeing their creations light up before their very eyes. As popular was the "Sumobot Challenge," where students competed in groups programming small robots to push each other out of a ring — just like sumo wrestlers.
"Today has been amazing!" is how a 15-year-old participant from Lancaster sums it up. "I never thought electronics could be so creative and fun. The Sumobot Challenge was really cool. I programmed the robots with girls of my age from other schools, and we’re friends now! The event made me think about engineering in a completely new way."
The attendees had a chance to network with current woman engineering students and faculty members, who shared their personal journey and offered valuable advice. These sessions aimed to demonstrate engineering career paths and provide role models for the young attendees. This allowed the girls to ask questions directly to professionals and current students and hear their views about university life and industry experiences.
"We are thrilled with the enthusiasm shown by all the girls today," says Professor Xiaoli Chu, from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. "Our goal is to show young schoolgirls that engineering is a dynamic, rewarding, and accessible career. Events like 'Girls into Electronics' are important in breaking down stereotypes and encouraging more girls to pursue STEM subjects."
The 'Girls into Electronics' event was a huge success, leaving the participants feeling inspired and with a much clearer picture of the exciting possibilities within electrical and electronic engineering. We look forward to welcoming many of these bright young minds back to the University of Sheffield in the future.