Teen-Turn
Year Awarded
2023
Amount
€50,000
- Organisation:Teen-Turn
- Format:Non-formal Education
- Location:Carlow, Clare, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Limerick, Longford, Mayo, Roscommon, Tipperary, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow, Online
- Topic:STEAM
Project Summary
Teen-Turn aims to influence course decision-making processes, inform participants on education and career options, and combat stereotypes by strategically changing how girls from disadvantaged and underrepresented communities identify with STEM career environments through mentored summer work placements, after school activities and alumnae opportunities.
Programming begins with a work placement in the summer after Junior Cert, during which participants are exposed to projects, introduced to role models and begin to blog about their time so that we can evaluate the effect of the experiences. From there, the girls have the option to join after school activities which include science projects for BTYSE/SciFest, the creation of a social enterprise and app development for Technovation, homework/grinds clubs, or related events like learning camps and incubators with company partners. Once participants have completed secondary school, they enter into our alumnae network–which offers numerous events to meet with fellow Teen-Turn participants, mentors who are women working in STEM roles, and career advisors all there to help with qualification completion and to build a professional network.
What we do is empower our participants-to identify a STEM interest, to be supported in the pursuit of mastering skills and gaining qualifications related to that interest, building science capital, and then provided the connections and social capital and ongoing reinforcement to develop a STEM career from that interest. We call it our ‘Junior Cert to Job’ commitment.
Evaluation Findings
Challenges:
Challenge 1: Girls’ schools skip physics curriculum chapters.
Cause: Lack of facilities prevents completion of required lab work.
Solution: Extended Saturday PLUS clubs on university campuses where trained volunteers deliver missed senior cycle physics labs and parts of the curriculum.
Challenge 2: Difficulty securing skilled volunteers and lab access.
Cause: Limited availability of qualified volunteers and reluctance from universities to open labs.
Solution: Ongoing efforts to recruit suitable volunteers and negotiate access with university hosts.
Findings:
1. The project achieved strong participation figures through direct engagements.
2. Companies followed up to expand outreach into the girls’ communities, supported by AMD and Avantor 2024/25 grants.
3. Schools requested additional resources to support girls taking physics, highlighting ongoing demand.
4. After-school activity participation exceeded original estimates, showing increased interest.
5. Data on third-level course choices and completion rates showed positive progression outcomes.
6. Alumnae continued to engage through dedicated programming, reinforcing long-term impact.
Learnings:
1. Follow-on programming has proven essential for long-term impact, creating a pipeline of relatable STEM role models and emerging talent.
2. The “Junior Cert to Job” approach is showing results, with participants from 2016-2019 now completing third level, entering the workforce, and returning as volunteers.
3. This sustained engagement highlights the value of multi-year programming in building lasting connections and reinforcing STEM identity over time.