The Galician Institute of High Energy Physics (IGFAE) organizes a new edition of the Particle Physics Masterclass, aimed at female high school students, on February 11 at the Faculty of Physics of the USC on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in science. The objective of the activity, promoted by CERN and the International Particle Physics Outreach Group, is to promote the full and equitable access and participation of girls in science.

Ensuring equality in science means taking advantage of the talent of the entire population. This is of vital importance at a time when science and technology are decisive in finding solutions to many of the challenges facing humanity, such as the energy, environmental, food or financial crisis.

In recent years the international community is carrying out efforts aimed at promoting the participation of women and girls in the scientific field. However, a study carried out in 14 countries shows that the probability of female students obtaining a scientific degree is 18%, compared to 37% male. This percentage of students falls to 8% and 2% if we talk about a master’s or a doctorate, compared to 18% and 6% of male students, respectivamente.

IGFAE believes it is essential to promote the full and equitable access and participation of all people in science. Moved by this same principle of equity, the General Assembly of United Nations proclaimed February 11 as the “International Day of Women and Girls in Science”. For the second year in a row, IGFAE joins this anniversary with an event aimed at female high school students.

The objectives of the masterclass are, on the one hand, to bring female high school students closer to the work of the researchers of the institute, thus making visible the scientific work carried out by women and promoting scientific vocations in girls. A series of introductory lectures on current Particle Physics will be given. In addition, a computer training will be done in groups with real data from a CERN experiment. Later, the results will be discussed by videoconference with CERN and other European centers that partcipate in the event simultaneously.

On the other hand, this day is intended to highlight the fact that many women belonging to different cultures, country, social class, ethnicity and condition made great contributions to science from the spaces they managed to occupy. Therefore, there will be a small talk-colloquium of invisible stories of women scientists, which are an example of inspiration and overcoming the different barriers they had (and have) to face during their scientific career.

With this experience, students will have the opportunity to approach the scientific method through a small simulation of what a scientist’s day-to-day life entails, in addition to acquiring knowledge about the history of women in science. The number of students is limited to 40, so we would like to have two students of 1st year of high school in each institute. We believe that this activity could become an incentive to opt for scientific careers, so we ask that this criterion be taken into account in your selection. In addition, since the discussion of the results will be in English, this should also be taken into account.

The organization will be in charge of the lunch. Teachers can assist and participate actively in the masterclas, if interested. This must be indicate it in the registration to reserve lunch).

If you wish to participate in this experience you must send the electronic registration form found on this website (https://igfae.usc.es/masterclass_women_in_science/) with the required data before Friday, January 17, 2020 or complete registration. Applications will be attented in order of arrival. Registrations that cannot be attended on this occasion will have priority in the next edition.