Addressing gender imbalance: Blackpool and Fleetwood schoolgirls enjoy inspirational Lancaster University cyber security showcase
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Year 9 girls from six schools around Blackpool and Fleetwood attended the event at the university’s Library and Infolab building, and got a chance to get hands-on with technology, take a look at cutting-edge science research facilities and find out about the career opportunities available through the computing and cyber fields.
The pupils attending were from Cardinal Allen Catholic High School, Fleetwood High School, Montgomery Academy, Armfield Academy, Highfield Leadership Academy, and St Mary's Catholic Academy in Blackpool and Fleetwood.
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Hide AdThe event brought together academic experts from Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communications and Physics Department, and was supported through the Lancaster University-led Lancashire Cyber Foundry and Cyber Girls First, an organisation dedicated to inspire school age girls to study computing, IT and other cyber fields.
Dr Kelly Widdicks, Lecturer in Computer Science at Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communications and Chair of the school’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion group, said: “There is a significant gender imbalance in computer science and the digital technology sector more generally. As a university we want to help address this imbalance by encouraging girls into computing from an early age and inspirational outreach activities with groups such as Cyber Girls First are a key part towards achieving this.”
During the day, the students enjoyed an interactive tour where they got to try out virtual reality headsets and create motorised vehicles with robotics kits, followed by a cyber Lego activity which saw them role-playing a cyber security game where they managed a business.
Then the girls were given a tour of the university’s IsoLab, a special cutting-edge laboratory facility where vibration, noise and electromagnetic disturbance have been drastically reduced. It is used for quantum physics research, a pioneering field in cyber security. The students also participated in a networking lunch with businesses and heard from inspirational visitors such as Microsoft’s Marie Hamilton, a Lancaster alumna.
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Hide AdRebecca Robinson, Programme Lead of the Lancashire Cyber Foundry, said: “I am passionate about helping young people and showing them that the world of cyber has many wonderful career opportunities. The cyber security role-play game shows the girls that they can be capable leaders making financial decisions about the security of their business. It is hoped that experiences like this will encourage other young people to start their journey in computing.”
Cyber Girls First’s Pat Ryan and Wendy Parmley, who is also a Lancaster alumna, attended the event. Pat said: “This event was what we hope is the first of many visits by girls from Blackpool schools to Lancaster University to see the amazing facilities on their doorstep. Wendy Parmley and I hoped for a positive response from the girls, but nothing prepared us for the excitement the visit engendered. This was only made possible by the generous amount of time given by the lecturers and staff to make this event so successful.”