Girls aged 14 to 16 across Cyprus will have the chance to explore coding, technology and future careers in science when the free BridgeSTEAM programme returns to Larnaca on December 5 and 6.

Now in its sixth year, the initiative, organised by Girls in STEAM Academy, will take place at UCLan Cyprus in Pyla, offering two days of practical workshops, career guidance and meetings with women working in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM).

The programme is open to girls who already have an interest in these fields, as well as those who are simply curious about what they involve. No previous programming experience is required, and participation is entirely free.

The two-day programme will run from 9am to 6pm on both days, with activities designed to introduce participants to digital skills, programming and creative problem-solving.

Alongside the technical workshops, girls will explore possible university courses and career paths, meet women already working in STEAM professions and hear first-hand about their experiences.

The sessions will also focus on communication, teamwork and confidence, giving participants an opportunity to develop skills that extend beyond the classroom.

Moreover, group activities will examine contemporary social challenges and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, connecting scientific knowledge with issues affecting everyday life.

The initiative comes as women remain significantly underrepresented in Europe’s technology workforce.

According to the latest Eurostat figures, women accounted for just 19.5 per cent of information and communication technology specialists in the EU in 2025, compared with 80.5 per cent for men.

Although the proportion of women working in ICT has increased over the past decade, the figures show that the industry remains overwhelmingly male.

For Girls in STEAM Academy, addressing that imbalance begins well before young people enter university or the labour market.

The organisation believes that stereotypes, limited exposure to female role models and differences in encouragement can influence girls’ educational choices long before they decide what to study.

BridgeSTEAM therefore targets an age when those decisions are beginning to take shape, introducing participants to professions they may never previously have considered.

Feedback from earlier programmes has been particularly encouraging.

One participant from the 2025 Larnaca programme described attending as “the best decision I have ever made”, while another said the experience had opened her eyes to new possibilities.

“It was a truly excellent programme that showed me another side of STEAM,” the participant recalled, adding that it had also “inspired me in relation to my future studies.”

Importantly, the experience does not end after the weekend.

Since its establishment in 2021, more than 320 girls have completed programmes organised by Girls in STEAM Academy, with graduates becoming part of an alumni network offering access to further educational and professional opportunities in Cyprus and abroad.

Some have subsequently participated in TechGirls, an international exchange programme in the United States, while others have presented episodes of the SheSpeaks podcast or taken part in job-shadowing opportunities with Cypriot companies and organisations.

These activities allow participants to build on their initial experience and gain a clearer understanding of how different professions operate in practice.

Girls in STEAM Academy is a non-profit initiative of the Be an Ally Foundation, established in 2021 to help tackle the underrepresentation of women and girls in STEAM disciplines.

This year’s programmes are supported by PwC Cyprus, Famous Sports, Zygos, CyRIC and UCLan Cyprus.

Schools, teachers, career advisers and parents are being encouraged to share the opportunity with girls who might benefit from the experience.

Applications for the Larnaca programme close on November 25, with interested participants able to apply online.