Alice Clark Q&A: Using Social Media to Increase STEM Engagement Amongst Women

Q&A with Alice Clark, after her presentation from the Finding Ada Conference 2020.

Synopsis

Alice Clark talks about how we create a spark by creating characters and stories that girls and women can relate to & accessing the social media generation.

When it came to role models growing up, Alice knew the big names: Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Florence Nightingale, but had never connected with their stories, so she went on for all of her education without a role model and without a purpose. It wasn’t until 2020 that she started really finding out more about these women and dug deeper into their stories, past the contribution to science and the awards. What has drawn her into their stories are often the aspects outside their big achievements – their lives, their loves, the obstacles society presents.

What part does social media play in increasing the engagement and participation of young women in STEM? Alice examines the concept of a ‘woman in STEM influencer’ on social media and how this fits into other engagement tactics. She looks at viral phenomenon like I look like an engineer (2015) or This is what a scientist looks like (2012-2014), as well as current influencers, with new movements like @chloetheengineer’s #stompingoutstereotypes.

About Alice

A civil engineer working in the construction industry, Alice has been a passionate advocate for women in STEM since her uni days as a volunteer for Robogals. This year she stumbled across the #steminist movement on social media and has taken a journey to learn about how social media could help us advance women in STEM.

Instagram: /thataussiesteminist
LinkedIn: /alice-clark-028144117

Posted in Advocacy & Policy.