Celebrating Women in STEM: Classroom Resources for Learning From Energy Innovators

Published on February 26
Celebrating Women in STEM: Classroom Resources for Learning From Energy Innovators
Celebrating Women in STEM: Classroom Resources for Learning From Energy Innovators

Teaching Women in STEM Through Energy Education

On February 11, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, many classrooms take time to recognize the contributions of women in science, technology, engineering, and math. It’s also a great opportunity to introduce students to people working on real-world problems and show how STEM connects beyond the classroom.

At Switch Classroom, we believe energy education is strongest when students can see themselves in the material. To support Women in STEM Day, we’ve created a Women in STEM video collection that highlights women working across the energy sector as scientists, engineers, researchers, and policy experts.

A Ready-to-Use Classroom Collection

This collection is designed with classrooms in mind. At its center is a Women in STEM Discussion Guide that provides structure and flexibility, whether you’re using one video as a bell-ringer or building a multi-day lesson around energy careers and systems.

The discussion guide includes:

  • Guiding questions that work with any video in the collection
  • Reflection prompts for Energy Switch episodes
  • An optional extension activity that encourages students to explore STEM careers and current energy challenges

You can use the guide to support whole-class discussion, small-group work, or written reflection, depending on your students and time constraints.

Explore the Women in STEM Collection

What’s Included

The Women in STEM collection brings together videos from the Switch Classroom Resource Library and selected Energy Switch episodes. The resources span a range of energy topics, including nuclear power, hydropower, solar energy, recycling, biofuels, artificial intelligence, energy justice, and the energy-water nexus.

Across all of these topics, students hear directly from women who are working in STEM today. The videos highlight not only technical expertise, but also collaboration, problem-solving, and the human impacts of energy decisions.

Why This Matters for Students

Representation in STEM matters, especially when students are beginning to think about their own futures. Seeing women in a variety of STEM roles helps students understand that there’s no single path into science or engineering, and that these careers draw on many different skills and interests.

These resources also support critical thinking by showing how science, technology, policy, and society intersect in the energy system. They’re a natural fit for lessons on energy, climate, careers, or engineering design.

Celebrate Women in STEM Day With Your Students

We hope this collection helps you spark meaningful conversations in your classroom on Women in STEM Day and throughout the year. Start with the discussion guide, choose the videos that fit your goals, and adapt the materials to work for your students.

Know someone who’s doing inspiring work in energy or a related STEM field? We’d love to learn from other educators about the people making an impact. Feel free to reach out to Jillian at jillian.swets@switchon.org and share what’s happening in your classroom or community.