ANNOUNCEMENT: Ten schools, in the United States and in Belgium, to be chosen for the Great Passport to STEM challenge
Thanks to the recent partnership of the US Embassy in Belgium and the international non-profit, greenlight for girls, these schools will be working to design the Sustainable School of the Future.
Brussels, Belgium, 24 October 2020 — The US Embassy in Belgium and the international non-profit greenlight for girls are teaming up to launch ‘The great passport to STEM challenge’. This virtual, innovative and cross-continental challenge will engage hundreds of girls aged 12+ in a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competition during the 2020-21 school year across two countries.
“What does a sustainable classroom look like? What would be the most valuable sustainable invention that any school needs in 2021? How can we connect with school across the globe in a sustainable way? ”
These are just a few of the questions the organizers will ask the participants to resolve in the upcoming few months. To help them in this challenge, they will provide all the participants with learning experiences, hands-on science demonstrations and pedagogic toolkits. Over the course of less than six months, the students will have the opportunity to build up their STEM skills, engage with scientific role models and professionals, connect with innovative companies, interact with their sister school across the world, ALL while designing and building with their own sustainable invention.
“While our actual travel passports may be less in use at the present moment, the need to build the motivation to study and innovate is more pressing than ever. So, we are equipping these young women with their own Passport to STEM. This program will bring together girls of diverse backgrounds, experiences and nationalities as it bridges the opportunity to co-create and learn from one another between Belgium and the United States.” explains Melissa Rancourt, Founder and Board President of greenlight for girls. “We believe that these young girls will use their creativity, collaboration and STEM skills to rise to a special challenge. We believe they will come up with amazingly innovative and sustainable ideas for what the future school and classroom needs.”
This project invites any interested school within the United States or Belgium to apply to join this challenge. Applications are open until December 18, 2020. Ten fortunate schools will be selected in December and the challenge will be launched in January 2021. These participating schools will then receive a welcome pack with STEM inspirations, be invited to join creative and brainstorming sessions, get a chance to connect with inspiring STEM role-model, and be paired with a sister school in order to enhance cross-cultural exchanges. The challenge will take place until June 2021 and the best innovative solution will be awarded.
‘Through this program, our goal is to strengthen ties between the United States and Belgium by creating a unique educational and cultural exchange opportunity specifically for young women from underserved communities. Focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation in the fields of STEM, and by combining international role models, hands-on educational skill-building workshops, and community resources, we create current and future opportunities for the targeted participants and participating countries.’ said a Public Affairs Office team member at U.S. Embassy Brussels.
This program will reach out to:
About greenlight for girls
The greenlight for girls’ organization is an international non-profit registered in Belgium and as well as a registered 501(c)(3) organization in the United States. Their mission is to encourage children of any age and any background, with a particular focus to girls, to pursue STEM subjects by introducing them to the world of science in fun and exciting ways. They envision a balanced world where girls (& boys) from any nation and of any age know they have the possibility and choice to enter the world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The organization has reached more than 48,000 children with more than 300 face-to-face events in over 34 countries since its inception, impacting these future STEM leaders to start or continue their pursuit of these subjects and careers.
For press enquiries, please contact Marie Lhuillery-Weber.
About the Public Diplomacy Office at the U.S. Embassy in Brussels
The mission of the Public Diplomacy Section is to promote understanding of U.S. political, economic and social issues — explaining to Belgian audiences both the Administration’s foreign policy agenda and the complexities of U.S. society and culture. Public Diplomacy offices consist of three major elements:
- The Press Section is responsible for explaining the content of U.S. Policy, and handles all media inquiries concerning official U.S. government policy.
- The Exchanges & Programs section is responsible for providing Belgian audiences with an understanding of the context of foreign policy by presenting a fuller picture of the values, beliefs, and principles held by Americans.
- Information Resource Center (IRC) provides authoritative, relevant, and timely background on both the content and context of U.S. policy issues.
