BrightSpark
My chemist
Company:
Women's Business Development Agency
Programme:
Future Innovators
Discipline:
Enterprise education
Location:
West Midlands
Funding:
£28,900
Year funded:
2006
Website:
www.mychemistgame.co.uk
Description/aims
To inspire more girls to set up their own businesses in science, engineering and technology, the Women's Business Development Agency (WBDA) has created a business simulation game, My Chemist, giving Key Stage 4 pupils an early taste of entrepreneurship through running a virtual pharmacy.
As the 'owner' of a chemist shop, the pupil is set a series of missions covering business planning, market research and product development. They might, for example, have to respond to a spell of hot weather by investing in and developing their own sun cream in a virtual lab.
The WBDA involved pupils throughout to ensure they produced a CD Rom that engaged and motivated, thus igniting a passion for enterprise among girls with an interest and flair for science.
Why we funded
The UK has a lack of female scientists and female innovators setting up their own businesses - key challenges for the economy in the 21st Century.
Even though the National Curriculum requires all children to study science up to age 16, there are still too few girls choosing science, engineering or technology subjects for further education.
The result - employers report severe skills shortages, exacerbated by disproportionately high numbers of qualified women leaving SET careers.
My Chemist offers a cross-curricular solution, encouraging scientific inquiry in the school (as well as virtual) lab, where girls can make 'products' sold in the virtual pharmacy.
Impact/benefit
The package has already proved successful among Year 10 students at Rugby High School for Girls, one of those trialing the resource.
Deputy Head teacher Geoff Buck said: "Not only did My Chemist help us meet the Government's curriculum requirements for enterprise education, it created a genuine interest in business and its underlying forces."
Not-for-profit organisation the WBDA is now able to market the CD Rom to inspire a new generation of girls to become science entrepreneurs.
Written: April 2007