The Final Gala: “Girls, it’s Time for Tech!” is already behind us
The Centre for Modern Education of the Silesian University of Technology, the Perspektywy Education Foundation and Stellantis joined forces a year ago to open the door to the world of technology to young women from Upper Silesia. On March 10th , in the Education and Congress Centre of the Silesian University of Technology, the Final Gala of the project “Girls it’s Time for Tech!” took place in a wonderful setting.
“Girls, it’s Time for Tech!” program aims to inspire secondary school female pupils to explore science, technology and engineering (STEM), develop their technical competencies, and build confidence in making future educational and professional decisions.
The program was implemented by the Perspektywy Educational Foundation and Stellantis in cooperation with the Centre for Modern Education of the Silesian University of Technology, as well as under the honorary patronage of the Minister of Education, the Mayor of the City of Gliwice, and the Mayor of Tychy.
- As part of the project, 115 workshops took place at our University, in which more than 500 girls from secondary schools of our province took part. It was a great opportunity for them to get acquainted with science in a practical dimension - they visited our laboratories and talked with lecturers. They also had a chance to listen to inspiring lectures on planning their future educational and professional career – explained the Director of the Centre for Modern Education, Dr in Social Sciences Anna Waligóra.
The event was attended by, among others: the Rector of the Silesian University of Technology Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Marek Pawełczyk , Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Education, Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Anna Chrobok, Vice-Rector for Science and International Cooperation Prof. Dr. Hab. Eng. Sebastian Werle, Director of the Science Popularization Centre, Dr Hab. Eng. Sandra Grabowska, Prof SUT and the Director of the Studies Service Centre Grażyna Maszniew M.A.
– Undoubtedly, initiatives developed by the Perspektywy Educational Foundation, such as Girls at the Universities of Technology, of which we were an active member, helped to ensure that women who are interested in technical fields choose the Silesian University of Technology. Here they find a good place for themselves to study, develop their passions, and also to work. That is why we became a partner of another unique event. A large community of our University has become involved in organizing workshops, trainings, and meetings for female pupils, who, I hope, will become our students – explains Rector Marek Pawełczyk.
During the project, the participants also had the opportunity to take part in the Summer School and the Winter School, and the most engaged pupils went to Warsaw for the Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit 2025 – the largest conference for women in technology in Europe. In addition, pupils were offered individual consultations with professional advisers, organized by the Centre for Modern Education in cooperation with the Career Office of the Silesian University of Technology.
- Each of these girls attended five different workshops at the Silesian University of Technology. The time spent at our University gave them the opportunity to learn about the world of science, so they could see if they wanted to become engineers. That was the goal of this project – so that the girls would believe in themselves and make an informed decision regarding the choice of the field of study – explained Vice-Rector Anna Chrobok.
The event was a symbolic moment of celebration of the courage, passion, and potential of young women in the world of science. In addition to the summary of the program, the participants had the opportunity to listen to, among others, the words of the Head of Training and Talent Development, the Leader of the Philanthropy Team in Stellantis Bożena Baldysz, the Director of Human Resources and Organization in the Stellantis Passenger Car Plant in Tychy, Marta Turczyk and the Managing Director of the Perspektywy Education Foundation Elżbieta Wyraz.
- As a foundation, we have been operating in the field of education and technology for over 20 years. In 2007, the first pilot initiative was the Girls at the Universities of Technology campaign! – precisely to increase the number of women studying technical and engineering sciences. On the basis of this campaign was created the project Perspektywy Women in Tech. It offers a spectrum of projects that support you dear students to choose a career in STEM. I wish you that this program will be your step in this direction and that it will not be the last one – said Director Elżbieta Wyraz to the participants.
During the event, 15 schools participating in the program were honoured and projects initiated during the Winter School were awarded. There was also a discussion panel with the participation of scientists and influencers on the role of women in shaping science and technology.
- “Girls it’s Time for Tech!” programme showed me how many possibilities there are and how different roads are available in the world of technical science. One such moment was a workshop at the Institute of Physics of the Silesian University of Technology, during which we talked about the electromagnetic spectrum and liquid nitrogen. It was something completely different – we had the opportunity to see science in practice. Such an experience meant that technology ceased to be something distant, difficult for us, known only from textbooks. We could touch it and understand it – explained Magdalena Grabysz, a pupil of the Academic Secondary Comprehensive School of the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice.
The project team of the “Girls It’s Time for Tech!” project on behalf of the Silesian University of Technology consisted of the Vice-Rector Anna Chrobok, Director of the Centre for Modern Education Anna Waligóra, Dr Marta Matyjaszek and Dr Eng. Adam A. Marek.
