‘WE’RE SHARING OUR LOVE FOR LEARNING’
Home-schooling during 2020 has helped many parents to appreciate the work of teachers in a new way. Anna Bonet talks to four inspiring educators who are helping young people learn and achieve
Meet the inspiring educators making a difference
Ipassed my maths A Level when I was 11, so I’m often referred to as a child prodigy. But growing up in east London, I felt like a normal girl – I was just fascinated by how things worked. I really looked up to people such as Tim Berners-lee, who invented the World Wide Web, and I also wanted to have a big impact on society.
My parents were supportive and encouraging, but they didn’t put pressure on me. It was my teachers who suggested I take my exams early, because I’d always sail through tests and couldn’t sit still in class. By 15, I’d been offered a place at Oxford to study maths and computer science. I began my degree at 17, when I was old enough to leave home. At 20, I became one of the youngest ever graduates with a Masters in the subject.
I went to work at Deutsche Bank and loved my job. I had lots of opportunities and was paid well. I remember thinking: ‘I’m having a ball – why aren’t there more girls here?’ Despite often being both the only woman and the only Black person in the room, I was never made to feel like the odd one out.
In 2012, I realised what I’d been missing out on when I attended a conference in the US for women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). There were 3,500 women there from around the world, all passionate about the same subjects I was. I wanted to recreate the incredible atmosphere every day. That was the seed of the idea for Stemettes.
I realised that more needed to be done to encourage women into these spaces. I wanted girls to see themselves as innovators and scientists, and never to think these subjects were only for men. I thought how great it would be to have an organisation that
showed them that. Setting up an initiative to do so became my New Year’s resolution.
In 2013, I began Stemettes: a social enterprise that inspires, supports and encourages young girls into STEM. I ran it alongside my job at Deutsche Bank. Within a year, it had grown beyond belief; I’d taken on partners, organised events and been invited to 10 Downing Street. I was exhausted. Two years later, when I’d employed four members of staff, I focused on it full time.
Leading Stemettes has been very rewarding. We’ve set up mentoring schemes with Deutsche Bank and run skills camps; we’ve taught girls how to build apps, make web pages and even design rollercoasters. It’s created a community for girls who can get advice, meet like-minded people and not feel alone. In the past seven years, 45k young people have taken part in Stemettes, and although it’s evolved over time, our ethos has stayed the same: everything is free to attend, it’s fun and there’s always food on offer!
In 2017, I was awarded an MBE for my work, and I published my first book, How To Be A Maths Whizz (DK Children), in May this year. I’m proud of what I have achieved, but for me, the best thing is seeing the girls in Stemettes grow up. I like to stay in contact with them and many have gone on to do great things. The ripple effect is extraordinary.
When I was growing up, there were so few women to look up to in my field. Now I’m a role model in my own right and I take that as a great responsibility. Every decision I make comes down to what’s best for the young girls in Stemettes. I hope I continue to honour them in the best way possible.
• stemettes.org
‘I want girls to see themselves as innovators’
By setting up Stemettes, Anne-marie Imafidon is helping young girls realise what they can achieve in the traditionally male-dominated subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths.
I’m a role model for girls, and I take that responsibility seriously