STEAM Imaging II workshop with Ernest Wu (SG), Jake Tan (SG) | Photo: Ars Electronica / Katia Kreuzhuber

WeSTEAM – Empowering women in STEM through art thinking

Despite great efforts at the European, national, and local levels, it is estimated that the participation rate of women in ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) is still much lower than that of men. The underrepresentation of women in STEM means a less extensive pool of talent and less variety of concepts and ideas that can lead to innovation. WeSTEAM injected STEAM approaches (Science – Technology – Engineering – Arts – Mathematics) with art thinking to increase women’s attention and curiosity about STEM.

The project developed, tested, and disseminated a methodology based on the STEAM approach to enhance the art thinking skills of female students in STEM and thus increase their chances of employment in ICT high-level positions once they graduated.

WeSTEAM benefited female students in STEM domains, teachers and trainers in (higher) education facilities, policymakers in the field of gender equality, and managers and creators of curricula in STEM departments in higher education institutions.

Partners (Consortium): Ars Electronica, Changemaker Educations, ESPRONCEDA – Institute of Art & Culture, powered by Lemongrass Communications S.L., Luleå University of Technology, Sineglossa

WeSTEAM was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.