EY has launched its innovative EY STEM App, in Northern Ireland, with a pilot in three schools – Ashfield Girls’ High School in Belfast, Assumption Grammar School in Ballynahinch, and St Cecilia’s College in Derry/Londonderry, as the professional services firm looks to support and empower the next generation of girls to explore and pursue careers in STEM.
The free-to-use EY STEM App is aimed at girls aged between 13 and 18 years old and features an immersive programme of modules and activities focused on the four broad areas of STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The app is designed to be used as an out-of-classroom tool to reinforce and expand educational experiences with learning modules developed by world- leading institutions such as NASA and Stanford University. The activities on the app were also developed in collaboration with the UN and World Economic Forum, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The app includes topics such as climate change, space exploration and technology, artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing and blockchain. The wide range of learning activities includes exploring new technologies and learning how design thinking can help solve some of the world’s toughest challenges.
The proportion of students leaving higher education with STEM qualifications is a key indicator for the Department for the Economy’s Economic Vision 2024/2025 Action Plan, which aims to raise productivity across the region. The EY STEM App offers a dynamic independent learning experience with hundreds of activities, from watching educational videos to conducting hands-on experiments, all designed to foster self-directed learning and confidence in girls. Beyond digital interaction, it encourages girls to take real-life actions beyond the phone app through interviewing members of their community, design thinking projects, and real-world experiments like building a solar oven, enriching their STEM education journey. The EY STEM App has more than 100, 000 registered users globally.
Judith Savage, EY Northern Ireland Consulting Partner, said: “We are really proud to launch EY’s STEM App here in Northern Ireland. This is more than just an educational app; it’s an empowerment tool that can help bridge the gender gap in STEM fields. Encouraging more girls to pursue careers in STEM is essential in supporting sustainable economic growth. As a significant employer here in Northern Ireland, we are keenly aware of our role to support and develop the next generation of business leaders and we believe the STEM app can play an important role in this. We have had great success globally with the STEM App and we are really excited to see the impact it can have locally.
Louise Hanvey, Principal, Ashfield Girls’ High School, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Ashfield Girls’ High School to be involved in the pilot scheme with EY. We are always seeking ways to address the disparity of genders in STEM based subjects through innovative means, both inside and outside of the classroom. Recently, we have launched the EY STEM App to our Year 10 pupils and parents. With our Year 10 pupils selecting their GCSE subjects later this year, we hope this makes an impact and stimulates an interest in pursuing STEM based careers.”
The EY STEM app is supported by inspirational stories of pioneering women in STEM aiming to nurture not only confidence and competence in these fields but also essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity and teamwork.
Available free of charge to schools, the EY STEM App represents a significant step forward in EY Northern Ireland’s commitment to education and gender equality in the workforce.