Shell has launched an online film fronted by British actor, Letitia Wright, to help break down the barriers that stop young people – particularly young women – pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). As part of the #makethethefuture campaign, the film documents the incredible stories of four female engineering students from diverse backgrounds, and their drive to become future STEM leaders.
The intake of women in technical fields in the UK is significantly lower compared to the rest of Europe, with only 23% of the STEM workforce female. A key factor is the lack of female role models for young people to look up to.
The short film, titled ‘Engineering Real-life Heroes’, brings together breakout star Letitia Wright – whose recent on-screen characters “have inspired a world-wide movement of youngsters gaining interest in STEM” – and Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, a social entrepreneur, co-founder of STEMettes, and the youngest ever girl to pass A-level computing, at 11 years old. Together, they shine a light on the journeys of four students preparing for this year’s Shell Eco-marathon – a global competition for students to design, build and drive ultra-energy-efficient vehicles. Now in its 34th year, the current competition record stands at 3,771km/l, the equivalent of driving from London to Rome and back again on just one litre of fuel.
Engineering Real-life Heroes
Letitia Wright said: “I strongly believe that you have to see something in order to understand you can do it. That’s why I’m thrilled that I got to tell the stories of these incredibly talented young women, who are real life embodiments of what STEM really is about. It would mean a lot to me if a girl could watch this film and think they too could do what these young women do.”
‘Engineering Real-life Heroes’ precedes a free, four day festive of ideas and innovation taking place in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London from 5-8 July, 2018. You can register for free tickets at www.shell.co.uk/freetickets.
To find out more about this and other #makethefuture projects, please visit www.shell.co.uk/engineeringheroes.