About Us
A word from our director, Helen Spencer
Welcome to STEMPOINT charity!
Children and young people are at the centre of everything we do. We are passionate about engaging and inspiring them about STEM subjects to they can improve their futures and lead the way in innovation.
Having been in operation for over 40 years, our aim is simple - to inspire more young people to enjoy STEM subjects and to introduce them to people who work in industry so they can see themselves working in the STEM sector.
We are a small, dedicated team who work on the various initiatives that support pupils and their teachers.
Our work doesn't replace classroom learning, it enriches what is being taught as part of the national curriculum and brings STEM to life.
We operate in the East of England (the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk) and, for some of our projects, in Greater London.
We are the STEM Ambassador programme Delivery Partner for the East of England, with over 2,000 volunteer Ambassadors in the region who can support schools and youth groups free of charge.
Helen has been helping the charity to fulfil its mission for 25 years and holds a Paul Harris Fellowship from the Rotary Clubs for her service to education. She has an MSc in Psychology and is passionate about offering opportunities and inspiration to young people.
Why is our charity needed?
We act as a bridge between education and STEM industry/business
STEM education is not just about studying the right subjects at school; it is about gaining the right mindset and skills for the workplace, both now and in the future.
These skills are of vital importance for innovation and to support our economy, our country and our planet. We broaden pupils’ horizons, showing the wide variety of jobs, careers and professions which are dependent on a solid grounding in STEM subjects at school.
The STEM skills gap
We can help to prepare a skilled workforce to meet the demands of the current & future labour market in the East of England. Furthermore, STEM encourages young people to develop analytical and logical thinking, which are essential in addressing global challenges, such as climate change, food security and healthcare.
Inspiring young people in STEM ensures that they are not just consumers of technology, but understand how it works, enabling them to navigate and contribute to a rapidly changing technological landscape.
Lack of awareness of opportunities
STEM careers are sometimes viewed by young people as ‘not being for them’ because of lack of role models, family/community experiences, preconceptions about the kind of people that ‘do’ STEM, or a lack of awareness of the opportunities available. Together, we can change those perceptions.
You can’t be what you can’t see
We can bring role models to the classroom and events to highlight the diversity of people involved in STEM and the available career pathways at all levels. We want to ensure that everyone is offered opportunities to succeed. We therefore often particularly target students from under-represented groups or low income backgrounds to take part in our initiatives.
To spark curiosity and creativity
We believe that children are naturally curious about the world around them, and we encourage curiosity and creativity to blossom from a young age, so that young people can reach their potential.
To support teachers by giving real-world context to STEM subjects.
Support from external organisations not only benefits pupils, but their teachers too. By introducing pupils to role models who work in various STEM sectors, schools are helped to meet Gatsby Benchmarks which are a hallmark of good career guidance.