Lockheed Martin (Chalet CS02) has launched a year-long partnership with global non-profit Girls in Tech to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and careers across Asia.
“Girls in Tech Singapore [GITSG] is very excited to be the first country to kick-start this partnership with Lockheed Martin,” said Wan Ting Poh, managing director of GITSG. “Given Singapore's long-standing aspiration to be the region's aviation hub and a smart nation, it’s timely and beneficial to encourage participation from a diverse audience, particularly from the female community that is currently underrepresented in STEM industries.”
GITSG has been actively encouraging greater female involvement in STEM fields through engagements with schools, teachers and parents.
“Through initiatives like this, we aim to inspire the STEM talents of tomorrow, who come in all shapes, sizes, and genders,” said Charles "Chuck" Jones, regional executive for U.S.-based Lockheed Martin in Asia.
The partnership’s first activity, a symposium at the Singapore Youth Flying Club held on the eve of the Singapore Airshow 2018, featured a panel of women leaders in aerospace and technology. Fifty-five students and teachers from Raffles Girls School, Methodist Girls School, CHIJ Katong Convent, UWCSEA East and Dover, Eunoia Junior College, Yishun Junior College, Changkat Changi Secondary School, and Compassvale Secondary School participated in the event.
“Today's event was an eye-opening experience,” said Edlyn Toh, 15, a student at CHIJ Katon. “There's not much exposure to us girls about STEM, so this was a good opportunity to see how we can do anything we put our minds to.”
Said Adriana Gascoigne, founder and CEO of Girls in Tech, “We’re thrilled to kick off our partnership with Lockheed Martin today and plan to work hand-in-hand with them as we invest in the education and empowerment of females across the globe."