Date: April 23rd, 2025

The Hook: What does it take to move “from the farm to the laboratory” or from a scientific patent to a successful business? Our second webinar proved that women in STEAM are not just participants – they are catalysts for social and economic change.

This session featured three powerful perspectives. Antonia Georgieva, a STREAM IT ambassador, shared her journey of international scientific development, emphasising that empathy is a secret weapon in modern startups. dr. Małgorzata Starowicz (Polish Academy of Sciences) spoke candidly about managing a research team while being a mother of three, highlighting the vital role of setting boundaries. Finally, Małgorzata Osiecka-Ciuhak (CEO of Bio Ice Cream Dots) shared her path to obtaining a technology patent, proving that entrepreneurship is a skill cultivated through persistence.

• Key Takeaway: Science and business are not mutually exclusive. Women can bridge these worlds by leveraging life experiences – like motherhood or career shifts – which build invaluable competencies in time management and flexibility.
• Watch here:Youtube Link
• Additional Recommendations: 
• • Mentorship and community – In both research and business, having a mentor (regardless of gender) and connecting with women who share similar values and aspirations provides strength, motivation, and fresh perspectives. It is worth taking advantage of programs such as Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA), WE Lead Food, or EIT Jumpstarter offered by EIT Food.
  • Leadership on your own terms – Being a leader does not require holding the highest position. It means having a positive influence on others, offering support, and inspiring through action. The courage to take on challenges – even small ones – is a daily path toward greater goals.
  • The value of life experience – Motherhood, failures, or career shifts all build competencies that are invaluable in scientific and managerial work. Women excel in time management, flexibility, and empathy – skills that are essential in today’s interdisciplinary teams.
  • Science + Business = Possible – Women do not have to choose between science and entrepreneurship. On the contrary – they can successfully bridge these worlds, develop technologies, bring them to market, and do so in alignment with their values.

Date: May 28th, 2025

The Hook:How can we foster leadership and entrepreneurial mindsets in girls within STEAM? This session highlighted the power of external growth opportunities and specialised programs. By connecting both students and teachers to these wider ecosystems, we can effectively redefine their professional trajectories.

Expert guests Laura Borge, Veronica Maria Lotrea, and Katarzyna Woznicka showcased tools from the Girls Go Circular (from 2026 new name Girls Go STEM) and FoodEducators initiatives offered by EIT Food. They demonstrated how “learning by doing” can be implemented right away using ready-made modules. The focus was on creating a safe space for experimentation where girls can build confidence through diverse role models and stories of female scientists, breaking old stereotypes in real-time.

• Key Takeaway: You don’t need a curriculum overhaul to make a big difference. There are plenty of external and free of charge initiatives, like Girls Go STEM, that enable both students and teachers to learn, network and grow. Integrating science into real-world contexts like sustainability helps girls see the immediate impact of STEAM on their world.
• Watch here: YouTube Link
• Additional recommendations
• • Girls need support and inspiration – Showcasing role models, sharing stories of female scientists, and offering opportunities to explore STEAM fields can help girls build confidence and break stereotypes.
  • Learning by doing is essential – Both Girls Go STEM and Food Educators emphasise experiential learning through collaboration and real-life problem-solving. This approach is particularly engaging for young girls and fosters long-term knowledge retention.
  • You don’t need to change the entire curriculum – It’s enough to integrate individual topics or modules into existing lessons in biology, chemistry, civics, computer science, or technology. All materials offered by Girls Go STEM and FoodEducators are highly professional, free and ready to use. Training is also available for teachers to increase their confidence.
  • Show the real-world context of science – Topics like food, sustainability, or climate change provide excellent and pertinent opportunities to apply scientific knowledge. They make science more accessible and relevant to students’ everyday lives.

Date: September 9th, 2025

The Hook: Did you know that by age ten, girls are already more likely to doubt their own abilities than boys? Our fourth webinar focused on the invisible mechanisms of stereotypes and how educators can intervene early to ensure that talent isn’t limited by gender.

Special guests Inga Stelmach (Fundacja IT Girls), dr. Katarzyna Woźnicka and Katarzyna Wolnicka explored the sociological roots of “mental shortcuts” that dictate what children believe they can achieve. The session linked equality directly to health education, demonstrating how gender biases can even influence nutrition and long-term well-being. The session provided a roadmap for schools to create an environment where every child feels empowered to lead and experiment from the earliest stages of education.

• Key Takeaway: Equality is a practice, not just a value. Schools must actively dismantle the “leadership for boys” vs. “support for girls” narrative by introducing gender-neutral health and science resources.
• Watch here: Youtube Link
• Additional recommendations:
  • Start with supportive communication – Replace “typical for girls/boys” with “everyone can try” – and respond to stereotypes in class.
  • Provide role models – Show women and men who succeed in “non-typical” fields; invite mentors, external experts to collaborate.
  • Teach critical thinking about health – Debunk nutrition myths, analyse sources, discuss the impact of environment and lifestyle on health.
  • Choose active methods – STEAM projects, culinary workshops, school gardens, shared breakfasts – quick ways to lasting habits.
  • Use ready-made tools –  Lesson plans and training offered by the FoodEducators program (including Kitchen Adventure) shorten the path from plan to action.
  • Build a support network – Cooperate with local partners; share results with parents and the teaching staff.

Date: October 23rd, 2025

The Hook: How do we transform a standard classroom into a space where it’s safe to fail, experiment, and dream big? This session focused on “Learning by Doing,” showcasing how really small changes in leading lessons followed by cosmic-scale projects can inspire down-to-earth skills.

Dr. Waldemar Grabowski (Waldemar Grabowski Edukacja) and Marta Pietrow (ESERO Polska) took us on a journey through space education, highlighting the ESA CanSat competition and the Moon Camp Challenge. They argued that the teacher’s role is to be a “guiding light” for experimentation. By using mixed-gender teams and collaborative tools like Astro Pi, teachers can move students away from dry theory and toward a world where creative problem-solving is the core of scientific work.

• Key Takeaway: Mistakes are an essential part of the learning process. They provide a space for dialogue, empathy and collaboration. Passionate teachers who embrace failure as a step toward growth create students who aren’t afraid to tackle the complex challenges of the 21st century.
• Watch here: Youtube Link
• Additional recommendations:
  • Encourage hands-on exploration – Simple materials can create powerful learning moments.
  • Connect disciplines – Link science with art and humanities to boost creativity.
  • Foster a culture of collaboration – Among students and teachers alike.
  • Value diversity – Different perspectives enrich problem-solving.
  • Use open resources – Initiatives offered for example by ESERO Polska and the Copernicus Science Centre from Poland offer free materials and workshops.

Date: November 20th, 2025

The Hook: The final webinar wasn’t just a wrap-up; it was a “small revolution” in classroom practice. This closing session moved from institutional theory to the courageous daily actions teachers can take to build a more inclusive world.

An esteemed panel of experts debated the current landscape of Polish education and the critical path forward. Dr. Natalia Marciniak-Madejska (Social psychologist), Inga Stelmach (IT Girls Foundation), dr. Waldemar Grabowski (ESERO Poland), and dr. Jędrzej Witkowski (President of the Center for Citizenship Education) discussed the importance of systemic support for educators. They emphasised that change happens through “micro-actions” – from using gender-neutral language to ensuring girls have the psychological safety to fail and try again. By supporting the teacher’s awareness and pedagogical tools, we directly shape the future of every learner.

• Key Takeaway: The language we use shapes the world children imagine. Neutral, inclusive communication and “small revolutions” in daily teaching are the most powerful tools we have to build an equitable future.
• Watch here: Youtube Link
• Additional recommendations:
  • Check the “order” before you leave the room – Are the materials you use equal, neutral, and inclusive?
  • Normalise and encourage mistakes – intentionally – Build an atmosphere where mistakes are information, not punishment.
  • Show real role models – Invite experts, mentors, and people from diverse backgrounds.
  • Change one small thing each day – A new question, a new example, a new way of talking – small steps matter.
  • Support student agency – Give choices. Let students decide. Encourage hands-on projects.
  • Use open, inclusive language – Do not fear feminine forms. Use language that does not exclude.
  • Build a culture of cooperation, not competition – Even small team projects create a sense of belonging.