Girls* Exploring Physics

*We have an inclusive view of the word “girl” and welcome trans, genderqueer and non-binary students interested in the workshop.

Engaging and Encouraging Young Women of Today

The fraction of physics bachelors degree recipients in Canada who are women has remained relatively unchanged since the year 2000 at around 21%. SFU physicist Dr. Sarah Johnson (winner of the 2018 Canadian Association of Physicists Medal for Excellence in Teaching), in collaboration with several female physics faculty members at SFU, created "Girls Exploring Physics" as a platform to inspire young women to pursue a career in physics.

Girls Exploring Physics is supported by a National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) PromoScience Grant awarded in 2015. Read all about it here.

What is Girls Exploring Physics?

Girls Exploring Physics is a program that offers free workshops for girls in Grades 9 and 10. Held at SFU Burnaby, these exciting workshops include hands-on activities in physics sub-disciplines that the women in our physics faculty specialize in. In 2017 our program expanded to include professional development workshops for secondary science teachers to provide them with strategies to encourage more young women to study physics at the university level.

Girls Exploring Physics Workshops:

Girls and STEAM 2022:

Girls and STEAM 2022 is an exciting seriers of events organized by Science World for girls age 11-16 across British Columbia to explore dream careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts & design, and math). Check out the video below from a Girls and STEAM online Physics Mentoring Workshop led by SFU Ph.D. Candidate Alaa Al-Shaer and SFU Faculty Dr. Nancy Forde and Dr. Sarah Johnson.

Girls Exploring Physics in the Media:

Our March 2011 workshop was featured on the Shaw Express local cable TV channel. See video of the episode here.

In 2017 Girls Exploring Physics was featured on the cover of "Physics in Canada" a publication of the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP). (See below)

The 2010 workshop was funded in part by the Jade Bridges Programme.

Follow @GirlsExpPhysics Follow us on Twitter!

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Workshop Participant & Teacher Feedback:

"First of all, thank you so much for organizing science workshops for high school students! Without the GEP Workshop, I wouldn't have considered physics as a career option." - Grade 9 2016 Workshop Participant

"My Science 9 female students have thoroughly enjoyed it and it has given them the confidence, knowledge and skills to continue into a pathway involving Science &/or Mathematics" - VSB Science and Chemistry Teacher

Department of Physics