SRC Seeks to Attract More Boys for Science and Technology

While other countries are still on course with inspiring greater female participation in science and technology, Jamaica is moving towards persuading boys.

Taking the lead in this mammoth task is the Scientific Research Council (SRC) in Kingston.

Under the guidance of Dr. Charah Watson, its Executive Director, the SRC has set the ball rolling with implementing developmental programmes that do not restrict participants based on their identity.

“Globally, there is an unequal number of women pursuing traditional science careers. However, in Jamaica it is very different,” Dr. Watson explains.

“Here we have a larger number of women pursing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers and young girls seeking science-based degrees. So, we have to be mindful of this and develop more programmes around this,” she tells JIS News.

Before now, the SRC focused on presenting science as an appealing industry to girls.

The Executive Director says even though the organisation will continue to support this group, young men will be benefiting more greatly from its undertakings.

“We have to ensure that our boys are not excluded. The needs of girls and boys are different, and they learn differently. So, we have developed programmes that are both gender neutral and gender specific,” the Executive Director explains.

She is acting with first-hand knowledge of the imbalance in the workplace. At the SRC, more than 76 per cent of its employees are females, including in the technical areas.

One of the initiatives that the SRC is utilising to encourage more young men to pursue STEM education as well as venture into STEM-based careers is the revamped Next Gen Science Programme.

Initially developed to support young women, this increasingly popular externship programme facilitates the exchange and interaction of students within STEM institutions.

“Our Science and Technology XXtrordineers JA programme features pioneering female scientists from Jamaica. But we are expanding on this to make it more gender-neutral… because we are cognisant of the reality here in Jamaica. And we are keen on making sure that there is balance across the board,” Dr. Watson says.

Other initiatives that are equally beneficial to young men and their female counterparts are the flagship Young Inventors and Innovators Competition and quarterly Conversation in Science Series.

Dr. Watson believes that with the SRC shifting gears and implementing more gender-neutral programmes, the country will not only strike a balance in female-male participation in science and technology but also boost innovation.

“We are encouraging both male and female participation is the advancement and development of our society. The SRC is an institution that is very keen on fostering innovation,” she tells JIS News.

“Embracing innovation is not just a choice but a fundamental necessity in steering our nation towards prosperity and global competitiveness,” the Executive Director argues.

Dr. Watson asserts that the SRC will remain resolute in its efforts to bring about this change.

She acknowledges that young men and women, alike, experience limitations when venturing into the science and technology field, hence she is pushing for the SRC to reach more students, including those at the early-childhood level.