Girls own STEM! – Croatia

Girls Own STEM! is an initiative by the Croatian association Bioteka, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting science in education. The NGO aims to raise awareness of topics like biology, ecology, nature, health, science, and environmental protection, and encourages collaboration amongst scientists, public bodies and social actors in Croatia. Girls own STEM! brings together girls between the ages of 14 to 18, who have focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects over the last 2 years in schools, and therefore have a solid foundational knowledge of biology, IT, physics, chemistry or mathematics. A strong focus remains on the most vulnerable – notably, most participants in the initiative come from lower socio-economic backgrounds. We delve further into this below. 

Background and context

In 2023, Bioteka brought together 50 girls interested in STEM – through calls sent to schools, municipalities and cities and some other associations with various initiatives in all Croatian counties. The idea, according to Jelena Likić, President of Bioteka and Girls own STEM project manager, is to empower girls to develop their own local projects to address an environmental, social or economic problem that is palpably important for their regions. Around 20 projects were already implemented by mid-2023 with the rest in preparation phase. Another highlight was the opportunity to bring all participants for a 3-day bootcamp get-together in January and early February of 2023.

Why is this a good practice?

The Girls own STEM! initiative is the result of numerous efforts of the association Bioteka to address some of the most vulnerable segments of Croatian society. Most participants come from parents, adoptive parents, or guardians receive social aid. Some girls are members of minorities (religious, ethnic, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc). A strong focus is also placed on engaging girls with disabilities and special needs (visual or hearing impairments). The project also tackles regional disparities: in cooperation with local authorities, city council, and industry representatives, Girls own STEM! takes under its wing young people that have access to fewer activities due to the limited possibility their regions can offer.

Examples of successful projects are plenty. Two beekeeping projects were especially successful. Their aim? To raise the population of bees in Zagreb, Samobor and surrounding villages and raise awareness amongst the local community of their importance. One girl in the Jastrebarski region of Croatia proposed that first aid boxes with basic medical equipment be installed in several places in the city, similar to the defibrillators we can find in some public garages. Public first aid boxes would be used in emergency situations to repair minor injuries, as most people rarely carry bandages, sterile compresses, scissors and related paraphernalia.

The project is key in bridging the digital divide in Croatia and promoting labour efficiency. Girls own STEM! wants to provide girls with a range of options to develop the skills they lack and improve others (like critical thinking or problem-solving skills). This is key especially in the context of changing realities in the job market, where it is hard to predict what skills needs will be apparent in the coming years. Girls also receive mentorship support on shaping the project proposals, review documentation, and keep track of important milestones.

Girls own STEM! is implementing the Bioteka project with financial support from 3M through the GlobalGiving international foundation, and since December 2022 the project donors have joined MET Croatia Energy Trade.

Find out more

Interested and in need of more information? Head over to the initiative’s page and don’t forget to check out their Facebook page for the latest updates. The projects already developed under the initiative can be viewed here, and another list is located here.