European Schoolnet aims to bring innovation to education in Europe through technology. They pledge to support schools' effective use of ICT, improve education quality, and promote a European dimension. Their study found that girls are interested in IT but not IT jobs due to unrealistic stereotypes, lack of creativity/real-world problems, and negative influences. Programs involving education and industry can increase girls' STEM interest by 20% by engaging them early and using engaging teaching approaches in computer science beyond just digital literacy. Measurable multi-stakeholder programs, including computer science in curriculums and teacher training, along with informal education, can help make this happen.

1. Getting girls
engaged in the
digital world

2. ABOUT EUROPEAN
SCHOOLNETNetwork of 30 European Ministries of Education, based in Brussels.
Not-for-profit organisation, aiming to bring innovation in teaching and learning to:
Ministries of Education, schools, teachers, researchers and industry partners.
European Schoolnet pledges to:
- Support schools in achieving effective use of ICT in teaching and learning
- Improve and raise the quality of education in Europe
- Promote the European dimension in education
Transform teaching and learning processes, using ICT as a force for
improvement.

3. Is coding the new literacy?
In the past, people hired scribes to write on
their behalf, just as we hire developers to
create computer programs.

4. High youth unemployment + increasing
demand for IT-skilled professionals
+ need for more innovation in Europe:
can getting more girls (and boys) into IT help
bridge the gap?

5. WHY GIRLS AREN’T ATTRACTED TO TECH SECTOR: OUR STUDY
Studied attitudes and perceptions of technology and tech jobs in NL, PL, FR, UK
& IT, including girls, boys, parents and teachers.
Girls interested in IT but not IT jobs. Unrealistic
perception of jobs: lack creativity, opportunities for
travel, inflexible, anti-social, don’t relate to real world
problems
Gender
stereotypes
Negative impact of
parents, teachers, role
models
Lack of confidence
in STEM skills

6. WHAT WORKS?
Involvement in
education-industry
joint programs
increases interest
in STEM (inc. IT)
jobs by 20%
Engaging girls
early before
gender
stereotypes set in
Developing engaging
teaching and
learning approaches
in computer science
– not just digital
literacy
Research evidence suggests solutions

7. HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN?
Measurable
multi-
stakeholder
programs
Computer
science in
the
curriculum
Teacher
training
Informal
education

8. inGenious school in Croatia, 2013
Secondary school students building an
electronic dice
Hands on IT activity jointly developed with

9. Kodu Kup, UK, 2013
Students developing games using a
simplified
programming tool.

10. Cisco Girls in ICT Job Day, 2014
Cyberteam young apprentices
at Cisco in Berlin as part of e-Skills 2014

11. inGenious Teacher Summer School in
Croatia, 2013
160 teachers getting training and sharing
best practice on integrating industry
examples in STEM teaching

12. OUR PARTNERS IN TECH

13. WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Visit www.europeanschoolnet.org
Contact me at alexa.joyce@eun.org