Empowering women and girls through digital and entrepreneurial competences with ESTEAM Fests and Communities
Only 34.5% of women in the EU between 2014 to 2018 felt that they had the knowledge and skills to start a business, compared to about half of men. Studies also show that although girls are as interested in science-related careers as boys at a young age, they tend to deviate from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) topics as they grow up.
Deloitte together with the European Women Association (EWA) and Vlajo are conducting a project for the European Commission and the European Innovation and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) to empower women and girls, in particular, by boosting their digital and entrepreneurial competences and increasing their confidence to choose STEM career paths.
Key highlights of the ESTEAM Project
Since the launch of the ESTEAM Project in January 2022, over 3,356 girls and women have participated in our online and in-person activities. We have already hosted ESTEAM Fests in ten countries, and we plan to visit three more in the upcoming months. Participants have joined from 38 different countries across all activities.
Malta Girls ESTEAM Fest 2022
Belgium Women’s ESTEAM Fest 2022
Belgium Girls’ ESTEAM Fest 2022
Coming up
The next ESTEAM Fest will be taking place in:
Brussels, Belgium on 23 May 2024 (Girls)
Helsinki, Finland on 30 May 2024 (Girls)
Prague, Czech Republic on 4 June 2024 (Women)
Online Fest on 19 September 2024 (Women)
Join the events and communities now!
Do you identify as a woman and are interested in boosting your digital and/or entrepreneurial skills?
Join our Women ESTEAM community to develop your skills and connect with like-minded peers!
Do you identify as a girl, are between 9 and 17 years old, and are interested in boosting your digital and/or entrepreneurial skills? Or are you a teacher or a parent looking to support girls in this journey? Keep an eye out for our upcoming events!
Join our Girls ESTEAM community to develop your skills, to learn about digital and entrepreneurship and to connect with other like-minded girls and mentors!
The 5th edition of the Girls’ and Women’s ESTEAM Fests was launched with a first event in Milan, Italy to celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March 2024.
The 5th edition of the Women’s ESTEAM Fest was organised in Milan, Italy on 8 March 2024. Approximately 130 women participated in the Fest. These were selected from a pool of approximately 200 applications received. Some of them were university students from Italy or abroad, would-be entrepreneurs or women intending to change their careers.
During the plenary, the participants listened to local role models that told their success stories, focusing on challenges, problem-solving and solutions. They also stressed the importance of the presence of women in science, technology, and entrepreneurship. One of the inspiring role models was Amalia Ercoli Finzi, an advocate for women in science, the first Italian woman to become an aeronautical engineer, who was involved with several NASA - Italian Space Agency missions.
During the workshops, the participants learned about data visualisation and how to work with data in a more efficient and appealing way. They also heard about what to do and not to do when speaking in public and had the opportunity to practice in front of their peers. They learned how to use the business canvas to put an entrepreneurial idea into practice, and how to pitch and fine-tune their proposals.
The 4th edition of the Girls’ and Women’s ESTEAM Fests took place in Mérida, Spain, Bucharest, Romania, and Lisbon, Portugal.
On 16 October 2023, the ESTEAM Fest in Mérida, Spain was joined by approximately 101 girls from 10-12 years old and 76 women.
The Girls’ Fest kicked off with inspirational speeches from Pedro José Pardo Fernández, Director of the University Center of Mérida, Celina Pérez Casado, Director General for Enterprise of the Regional Government of Extremadura and Dana Puia Morel from the European Commission who highlighted the importance of consolidating future leaders in the key role of women and girls in STEM. The girls came from 6 different schools in Extremadura. After the speeches, the girls were divided into smaller groups to crack business cases in order to solve actual issues stemming from the region of Extremadura such as the promotion of local tourism, recycling, and the reduction of water waste. Followed by a series of vigorous discussions, each group presented its solutions and prototype with an elevator pitch. In this process, the girls were accompanied by female entrepreneurs and mentors who provided them with pertinent guidance and who served as a source of inspiration for them.
In parallel, the Women’s Fest kicked off with a keynote speech on "STEM in women: Challenges and opportunities", given by Maria Victoria Gil Álvarez, a prominent university professor with experience in research and promotion of gender equality in STEM. Three women entrepreneurs and professionals from the STEM sector led a round table around the topic of the contribution of women in senior management and decision-making environments. Research has shown that companies with female employees see their benefits increase by 5% to 20% thanks to a better work environment. The Fest continued with a visit to the FabLabs of the Centro Universitario Mérida, and a visit to the High Technology Incubator in Bioeconomy and Circular Economy in Mérida. The participants accessed the laboratories and the pilot plant of the Incubator to learn more about its scientific and technological equipment and the possibilities.
The Girls’ and Women’ ESTEAM Fest was organised in Bucharest, Romania on 28 and 29 November 2023. Approximately 100 girls aged 15 to 16 worked on issues in mental health, education, climate change and reaching goals. By working in groups and cracking case studies, the girls were encouraged to present their results with an elevator pitch. For the second day, 60 women at the Titu Maiorescu University attended interactive workshops on personal branding, marketing, sales and discovering strengths and values.
The Women’s ESTEAM Fest in Lisbon, Portugal took place on 25 November 2023. More than 120 women coming from 8 universities joined the Fest with the aim of deepening their knowledge in the world of Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics topic. The morning kicked off with inspiring opening speech by Dana Puia Morel who is a coach, trainer, and policy expert from the European Commission. The main activities of the day are hands-on workshops, including Design Thinking, Personal Branding, Artificial Intelligence LAB, Public Speaking, Innovation & Emergent Technologies and many more.
The 3rd edition of the Girls’ and Women’s ESTEAM Fests took place in Warsaw, Poland, Brussels, Belgium, Luxembourg and online.
For the Fest in Poland, the first day was dedicated to the Girls’ ESTEAM Fest. Throughout the day, the girls listened to a few inspirational speakers and women entrepreneurs (present physically or online). They learned about stereotypes, Polish female role models from the past and present, being safe online, and what technology can do. The participants experienced a workshop on Design Thinking that focused on the importance of a user-centric approach to services and products. The girls also had the task to design an App and the topics they chose included time management, motivation, nutrition habits, recycling and waste management, handling personal finances and even air quality. A few participants from another EU initiative – Girls Go Circular – presented the idea of the project and their achievements acquired in the field of digital and entrepreneurial skills for the circular economy.
The second day was dedicated to the Women’s ESTEAM Fest. The inspirational speakers reminded everyone of the value and role of technology in any kind of profession, and that digital skills are a necessity for women and can be developed at a later stage in life. The participants learned practical tips on branding yourself on LinkedIn, navigating the job market, and succeeding in project management. The deep-dive sessions offered focused on the following topics and tools: Design Thinking, cybersecurity, SAP (System Analysis Program Development), DevOps and software development, enterprise architecture, and AI & "phygital".
On 2 and 16 May 2023, dedicated Girls’ ESTEAM Fests took place in Brussels, Belgium. Across the two days, more than 180 girls participated in practical workshops to learn about how to be safe online, how to create a strong password and learned about female role models who choose to follow a career in STEM.
On 1 June 2023, a Girls’ Fest was organised in Luxembourg during which 25 participants aged between 12 and 15 years old learnt about artificial intelligence (AI) and enjoyed the participation of inspiring role models who discussed their experiences in computer science.
On 20 June 2023, a Women’s ESTEAM Fest was held online with more than 80 participants. The event was dedicated to women who aspire to enhance their digital and entrepreneurial competences. This event aimed at empowering women by providing valuable insights, practical knowledge, and networking opportunities. A particular highlight of the event was the speech by Agnieszka Wojdyr, policy officer at the European Commission, who provided interesting resources to complement her insightful workshop on how to get funding as an entrepreneur.
The agenda covered cutting-edge topics with renowned industry experts through practical and interactive workshops:
1. The challenges and opportunities of digital adoption in business with Rosa Metra
2. You Are the Brand: Learn about personal branding with Mihaela Raluca Tudor
3. Golden Rules for Contracts: Delve into the legal realm with Iulia Berea (Stoianof)
4. The Artistic and Scientific Qualities of Medicine - the Key to Living Well and Healthy” by Dr. Luiza Spiru
5. Mastering the Art of Negotiation: Learn from Genoveva Turcu
6. ABCs of Finance: Explore finance with Ida Beerhalter
