Founded at King's College London in 2015 by a group of passionate STEM students, WiSTEM is a thriving network that includes students, professionals, academics, and researchers dedicated to supporting underrepresented women and non-binary individuals in STEM.
Our Mission
Our mission is to foster a supportive community where young womxn in STEM are encouraged to develop the skills that drive innovation, and provide opportunities for their personal and professional growth.
Since 2021, our Policy Lobbying and Advocacy (PLA) team has been actively involved in faculty boards, presenting policies aimed at enhancing the experiences of women pursuing STEM degrees. Our society is more than just a community—we are advocates for change and supporters of diversity in STEM.
Our Goals
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Support and Encourage: We empower women and non-binary people in STEM, including those from diverse backgrounds such as people of color, trans individuals, people with disabilities, various religious beliefs, and different socioeconomic statuses.
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Education: We educate the university community about the challenges faced by women and non-binary people in STEM.
- Empowerment: Through mentorship schemes and organized events, we provide opportunities, knowledge, and a sense of community in STEM.
Our Achievements
We are proud recipients of the KCLSU Gold Society Award and the prestigious Ada Lovelace Prize for our efforts in improving diversity, wellbeing, and collaboration. We have also been honoured with the Breaking Barriers Award by Bright Network for our impactful initiatives.
Previous Events and Initiatives
Our events and initiatives are designed to foster an inclusive support network and provide valuable opportunities for our members:
Mentorship Programme
Our high successful mentorship programme was started in 2023 with the aim of providing personalised career support to our members. As a 1-1 mentorship scheme, WiSTEM members are matched with a mentor in their field of interest.
The programme starts off in October with a mentor-mentee orientation and welcome event on Strand Campus, and concludes in March at our annual International Women's Day event. Last year, we facilitated over 75 mentor-mentee relationships.
Student Ambassador Programme
The WiSTEM student ambassador programme provides WiSTEM members with the opportunity to act as ambassadors for the society through conducting outreach to promote our activities.
Student ambassadors are given the opportunity to broaden their own skillset, with training sessions in management, marketing, and event coordination led by the WiSTEM committee. Student ambassadors are also given the chance to pitch their ideas for a STEM outreach initiative/event, which will be run by the ambassador and supported by the WiSTEM committee.
Schools Outreach Programme
Our schools outreach programme is provides university students with the opportunity to inspire young girls in Years 8-11 to pursue STEM degrees and careers. WiSTEM members are train as volunteers to deliver workshops and presentations relating to basic coding concepts, CAD and 3D modelling, and different STEM career pathways.
Previous volunteers noted that the programme improved in their confidence in public speaking and leadership abilities, and was an overall fulfilling experience.
Workshops, presentations, and networking events
Our Alumni Panel Event, "So, What's Next?" was voted WiSTEM's best event of 2024/25 by members last year. As WiSTEM, we endeavour to host career-related workshops and presentations with insight into different STEM industries to provide students with confidence going into the job market.
As innovation is the norm for STEM fields, WiSTEM also hosts speaker presentations and panel events for students to recognise emerging trends in industry and connect with professionals who are driving these changes first hand.
We also host a variety of networking events, either pairing students with professionals or students with their peers, to help build community and foster professional development of our members.
Well-being & Community Building events
One of our aims is to foster a supportive community for womxn in STEM, and we believe events focused on improving the well-being of our members and facilitating laid-back interactions amongst students is vital to creating community. We have a number of such events coming up in 2025/26, including an introduction to journalling and more!
We are also launching our STEM book club. We'd love to explore our members' different perspectives on STEM's impact on society beyond academia, and nuture relationships characterised by open dialogue. WiSTEM members will meet once per month to discuss a fiction or non-fiction novel based on STEM themes.
STEM Ball
The STEM Ball was one of our biggest events last year, involving over collaborating 15 societies and 2 faculties to make it possible. Having sold out in under 4 hours, we had over 340 students from across STEM disciplines join us for a night of music, dancing, and conversation. The STEM Ball will be back in 2026, so keep an eye out for updates via WiSTEM's Instagram!
Join Your Community
With over 440 members from 58 nationalities, WiSTEM offers a unique opportunity to connect, grow, and thrive in STEM. Get your membership and join us now!