Supporting the 2026 STEM Challenge

An inspirational event

I attended the STEM Challenge final on 12th March with Asya Panchalieva and Lauren Holloway.

Soroptimist International Bournemouth have been hosting this event for 14 years with the intention to inspire girls to take part in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) that have historically been male-dominated. The girls are set a challenge in teams to create a project, which would be a solution to an ongoing problem in some of the poorest parts of the world. Their design must be sustainable, affordable, beneficial and fit for its intended purpose. There were some really creative and clever ideas put forward by the different teams.

The winning projects

All the projects were an amazing example of how beneficial it is to have women involved in STEM subjects. There were some truly innovative and detailed ideas that could have a positive impact on the countries and the areas of the world that were selected. All the teams involved in the final won a prize, the projects were all so fantastic, and all the girls deserved their prizes.

The year 8 winning team named themselves Plaque Attack. They developed an eco-toothbrush and toothpaste for communities in the Philippines. The year 9 winners had named themselves Halovision. They had created a solar thermal cooker for people in Burkina Faso.

STEM subject success stories

We got to hear from two ladies that had previously competed and won the competition almost 10 years ago, and how being part of this competition at school had inspired them and helped them to reach where they are today. Lucy has gone on to study sports science at Loughborough University, playing a high level of football alongside this. She explained how STEM is all around you, making various links to sport and how it has helped thoroughly with injury recovery. Eve is completing her master’s degree in chemistry at the University of York and has recently done a studentship at Yale. She explained the importance of research, exploration and innovation in the STEM subjects.

I shared my journey into the legal profession, detailing the skills I gained through STEM subjects whilst I was at school, to the challenges faced trying to make my way in a previously male-dominated career.

Fostering innovation and creativity

We also heard from His Majety’s Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset, Professor Michael Dooley, who was highly impressed by all the projects, and stated he was truly inspired by the girls, and excited to see what a positive impact their generation can bring to the world.

This event as a whole was an incredible example of the talent these girls have, and it shows how innovative they can be when given an opportunity like this. By sponsoring and supporting this event, we can really help the local community, and give those girls an opportunity to express their intelligence, creativity and love for learning.

Supporting the STEM challenge is just one of the ways we give back to our local community.