The experience at the "Verdi" school

Explaining Physics to Children to Overcome the Gender Gap in Science: A School Experience "greens"

Explaining Physics to Children to Overcome the Gender Gap in Science: The Verdi School Experiment

In celebration of International Women’s Day, organized “J. Verdi enthusiastically welcomed the proposal of Professor Sabina Tangaro, Professor of Physics at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, for a journey to discover the physics of images, through which it is possible to explore what our eyes do not see: from traces left by subatomic particles, to images medical images of the human body and images of very distant galaxies.

The world of science is not yet an “equal” world: Professor Tangaro testifies to this to our editorial staff, to whom we asked for some data on the presence of women in Barry’s academic world: «Barry University has eleven professors of physics: 10 men and 1 woman. There are twenty-one associate professors: seventeen men and four women. Only a third of the researchers are women. The contrast is clear and this prompted me to study a course on the subject of image physics for primary school children.

It was also quite a challenge for me, but also an opportunity to find a way to communicate science rigorously but also with its dose of fantasy, fun, and universality. The chosen topic allowed me to draw attention to the filters that modify or distort the original image and to the validity of our visual perceptions to conclude that the only filter we must place between us and the images of reality is knowledge.

It was great to see girls and boys surprised at the gender disparity in science. This is the only ignorance that gives us hope. Not because there should be an imposition of women’s quotas in science but because if society denies itself the possibility of receiving the contribution of women of the future, it denies the possibility of development, prosperity and growth with the contribution of all.”.

The conference began with a greeting from the head of the school, Dr. Grazia Soriano, who expressed herself as follows: «What better way to celebrate a symbolic date, the 8th of March, which sees women who, even today, are not inclined towards the technical and scientific disciplines of gender equality that have yet to be built! The main role of education and school in promoting tendencies, talents and igniting feelings. This has always been our mission! »

The aim of this initiative was to facilitate the reduction of the gender gap and the curriculum of women at all levels of scientific disciplines, believing in promoting the values of equality, inclusion and knowledge towards male and female students of all ages. It lies in creating a community of free, responsible, just and happy citizens.

The meeting was held in collaboration with two students from the Physics degree course at the University of Bari: Marialuisa Apasiano and Rosa Maria Santovito, who managed to interest the children by proposing experiments and answering their many questions.

Saturday, March 11, 2023