Stem, the talent of girls in the field for the challenges of work

from meetings to unmask gender bias to teamwork to create a technological device and present it to the public: we are talking about a website programmed in Python, an automated mini-greenhouse with Arduino sensors, a 3D printed robotic arm and even a videogame to explore space.

These are some of the ingredients of the nine-day Stemdays – The girls' camp of the human+ Foundation , a project supported by Intesa Sanpaolo through the Formula Programme , in collaboration with Cesvi .

The initiative, dedicated to female students in the third and fourth year of high school in Turin and hosted in the Toolbox coworking spaces from 16 to 27 June, was designed and created to promote gender equality and the presence of women in technical-scientific study and career paths, making girls aware of their creative potential and the value of STEM disciplines (acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ), the most sought-after by the job market and crucial in addressing the great challenges of our time.

In addition to the Intesa Sanpaolo group, supporters of the initiative also include the Forwardto association , the Laboratorio museo tecnologic@mente , Occupy ai , Fablab Ivrea and Mondo digitale .

Breathing so much talent, enthusiasm and, I feel like saying, professionalism, gives us hope for the future and returns, multiplied, the sense of our commitment to a world where women can truly make an impact with all their competence and creativity.

Patrizia Ghiazza – President of the human+ Foundation

«Accessibility and inclusion are at the heart of our commitment to young people, starting with training and professional growth: with Cesvi, we chose the Human+ project because it reflects precisely this principle», explains Stefano Cappellari , regional director of Piedmont North, Valle d'Aosta and Liguria of Intesa Sanpaolo.

Developing young people's skills. Cappellari highlights how Intesa Sanpaolo has been "a trailblazer in Italy in granting merit-based honor loans to finance studies, and promotes the Giovani & lavoro program to provide a concrete response to the gap between supply and demand in the labor market, helping unemployed girls and boys develop the technical, attitudinal and behavioral skills that companies need most."

The project was selected by Intesa Sanpaolo within the Banca dei Territori Division led by Stefano Barrese, with the support of Cesvi, and financed through a fundraising campaign active from May to August 2024 on For funding, Intesa Sanpaolo's crowdfunding platform dedicated to environmental sustainability, social inclusion and access to the labor market for people with disabilities.

In four months, over 100 thousand euros have been collected thanks to the generosity of citizens, businesses and also the bank, which actively contributed to the goal by donating 2 euros for many of the products purchased by customers online.

The Formula Program, adds Ghiazza, «has been decisive in these last two years in fully valorizing our potential and that of our girls».

Since 2021, explains Roberto Vignola , deputy general manager of Cesvi, «the Formula Program sees us as a strategic partner of Intesa Sanpaolo in selecting the best projects throughout Italy, with the ambition of pursuing sustainable and inclusive changes.

Through Formula, he adds, "projects are supported on the themes of: emergency and poverty, health support and fragility, social inclusion and community welfare , education, training and orientation, urban and environmental regeneration, and conservation of cultural heritage. To date, we have achieved significant results with over 170 projects supported."

It is the demonstration of how «the union between the non-profit and profit worlds can respond to territorial, social and environmental issues, in a targeted and effective way».

The goal of Stemdays, as well as of the Human+ Foundation, is to contribute to a present and future reality where gender equality is fully achieved and where the presence of women in training courses and in technical-scientific professional positions is equal to that of men.

Living the experience of the camp, at a very significant age for the education of girls, stimulates the women of tomorrow to gain awareness of their own potential, of the ability to collaborate and to impact reality, and of the value of STEM disciplines.

By sharing common interests, participants can make new friends and cultivate them in the Stemgirls community, a digital space where they can stay in touch even after the event, discuss personal experiences and aspirations, orientation topics and stem initiatives.

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In the opening and in the text, photos from the Intesa Sanpaolo press office