Work shadowing by high school students

12 December 2016

The ‘National Expertise Centre for Girls and Women in Beta & Technique’ [VHTO in Dutch] is currently looking for female biomedical scientists who would be happy and available for “work shadowing” by 4th and 5th year high school students.

The purpose of this visit is that female high school students get the opportunity to actively explore the working field of biomedical science. The mission of the VHTO as an organization is to lower the barriers and actively stimulate young girls to chose for a study and career in the beta, science and technical field. Furthermore, VHTO is always looking for female scientists who want to participate in speed date sessions at high schools, where the expert (or role model, as VHTO calls it) would chat to 2nd and 3rd year girls are about what it is like to have a career in science. These girls are about to chose their high school profile and having them talking to female scientists who can serve as role models can give them a better picture of the potential work field.

If you are interested in the work shadowing project, the speed date or just like to know more about VHTO, please contact Franka Kerklaan. She is the VHTO project manager secondary education at the Science Park, Amsterdam.

Personal note from Alma Tostmann, Department of Primary and Community Care. “I have participated in several of these speed date sessions and found it very rewarding and interesting to talk to these young girls. I found out that many girls hesitate to chose for a ‘science-profile’ because they consider themselves not good enough, even though their grades are more than sufficient. I could recommend working with VHTO, especially if your work contains some technical elements, such as laboratory techniques, genetics, radiological imaging or physics.”

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