Girls Do The Maths

by Deanna Dhayaharan, Year 11 Student

The University of New South Wales’ (UNSW) School of Mathematics and Statistics hosted the Girls Do The Maths event on Thursday 23 June for girls in Year 10 to 12. One of the objectives of the day was about redefining societal perceptions of what a mathematician looks like in a male-dominated field, which also aimed to encourage female interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). 

Speakers were invited to the workshop to:

• Share their professional experiences
• Teach us about practical application of mathematics
• Discuss how we may utilise our talents and passions to make the world a better place

This was incredibly insightful as it taught me that mathematics is much more fluid and multifaceted than I had previously realised. Listening to people talk about maths, a subject they were all so enthusiastic about, was also really encouraging.

We endeavoured to complete fun (and alliterative!) interactive maths activities including Counting Conundrums and Peter’s Party Planning Problems. Here, we had a wonderful chance to develop a sense of community as we connected with one another from different schools in an effort to solve problems.

Through this experience, we discovered that we function better as a team and the value of patterns in helping us make sense of the world around us.

We also had the opportunity to explore the UNSW Kensington Campus and hear about the realities of university life, such as courses and degrees, as well as the candid perspectives of current maths and statistics students at the institution. Having the opportunity to ask questions helped pique our curiosity.

The excursion was a huge success all around! The Girls Do The Maths Day was fun and engaging as we learnt more about the systems that make modern life possible.

It was so great to be a part of a program that aims to provide equal opportunities for everyone to pursue and thrive in mathematics.