Developed by EY Women in Technology in collaboration with immersive learning specialists, SkillsVR, the EY STEM App is a free-of-charge mobile platform for girls, aged 13-18. Activated with a diverse ecosystem of governments, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations, the app leverages content from world-renowned institutions, which is mapped to the SDGs and the P21 Framework for 21st Century Learning.
What really makes the EY STEM App different, though, is the way it makes engaging with that content simple and rewarding. From digging deeper into technologies, such as AI and blockchain, to exploring how design thinking can help solve some of the world’s toughest challenges, girls can easily navigate 15 channels of content that interest them. Supported by the inspirational stories of pioneering women, this content not only nurtures confidence and competence in STEM, but also the development of capabilities, such as critical thinking and problem-solving, creativity and systems thinking, and social skills and teamwork.
Hundreds of individual activities — each broken into bite-size steps, such as watching a video, answering thought-provoking questions or carrying out an experiment — support self-directed learning and build a real sense of accomplishment with the completion of each step.
Further strengthening that sense of achievement is an incentivized learning model, whereby completion of each step earns points that girls can then redeem for a variety of awards:
- “Fun” rewards are rewards for themselves, e.g., digital vouchers for exciting merchandise, including STEM-related products, such as a tablet or smart watch.
- “Important” rewards offer opportunities for further development, such as group mentoring sessions and work shadowing experiences.
- “Lasting” rewards allow girls to donate their points toward causes they care about — such as environmental sustainability, gender equity and LGBTQIA+ rights — with a matching financial contribution from EY.