Electronic Engineering department hosted ‘Girls Into Electronics’, its second event of the year for girls aged 15-18, in collaboration with the UK Electronic Skills Foundation and Apple.

On the 10th July, the Electronic Engineering department hosted ‘Girls Into Electronics’, its second event of the year for girls aged 15-18, in collaboration with the UK Electronic Skills Foundation and Apple.

The day started with Apple showing just how much technology was packed into the phones we all carry in our pockets every day – and how many different Electronic Engineers contributed to each component. Highlights of the day involved hands-on experiences building an electronic clock and programming an Arduino to react to sensor readings. The day finished with a chance to hear from recent Electronics graduates about how the UK Electronic Skills Foundation helps to support the next generation of female engineers and from current Electronics students about studying electronics at university.

 All the girls said that they would recommend the event to a friend:

· “Everyone was very enthusiastic and inspiring!”

· “It is very fun and useful to anyone interested in STEM”

· “It showed me how electronic engineering can link to computing and technology”

· “It was very interactive and something I've never done before”

· “I loved seeing my programming actually make sounds and lights in real life”

· “It allowed you to use creativity and understand the cross-over between coding and physical circuits”

· “Seeing the physical results of my code was cool!”

 Dr Matthew Bryan, who leads Electronic Engineering Outreach at Royal Holloway, explained why Girls Into Electronics was so important:

“Creativity makes an Engineering team successful; diversity makes an Engineering team more creative. Everyone benefits from events like Girls Into Electronics that inspire more women to step into engineering and make a difference in the world.”