Edition 2024-2025 — Olympes de la Parole Canada

2024-2025 Edition

Where are the girls in STEM thirty years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action ?

Theme

It is thirty years since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action (PfA) and its promise of the full enjoyment of the rights of women and girls, remains relevant and more critical than ever. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing+30), the UN Women’s Beijing+30 Strategy underlines the cardinal importance of integrating young women and adolescent girls as critical stakeholders and rights holders in the pursuit of gender equality.

In this context, you, high schoolgirls in Canada, will reflect on gender gaps in STEM education and will propose solutions to bridge these gaps, accelerate progress across SDGs and stop the digital divide.

Enroll here.

Participating Institutions

Winners

First Prize

EMSB-Marymount Academy International TEAM A won the Voices of Olympia Canada School Competition First Prize of $2,500, with the jury mentions for Best Oral Presentation, for Most innovative project and for Best project promoting STEM education among young children. Under the supervision of Ms. Dimitra Thomakos and Ms. Monica Mengqi Li , the team is composed by Shaya Catarina Fadel, Drisana Ravichandran, Ophélia Bernier, Bokyung Chung, Saïa Wallis.

Their project investigatesd how the toys children play with can shape their futures. Research shows that girls are underrepresented in STEM because traditional gendered toys, like dolls and play kitchens, don't foster the same problem-solving and spatial reasoning skills as toys often given to boys, such as building blocks and coding kits.

This presentation outlines a plan to challenge these stereotypes. sheSTEMS Toys, a new company created by girls, for girls, is reinventing STEM toys to blend technical skills with "feminine" interests. Their mission is to empower the next generation of girls to embrace STEM with confidence, starting with the toys they play with.

“The Building Blocks of Gender Inequality: How Early Play Shapes Girls’ Pathways to STEM.”

Download their written report

The project in video

Second Prize

L’équipe du Collège Stanislas de Montréal, est la lauréate 2025 du deuxième prix du concours scolaire Olympes de la Parole Canada, d'une valeur de $ 2000. Elle a également reçu la mention du jury pour la qualité de la Langue, et une Mention du Jury pour le Meilleur projet utilisant l'enseignement des STIM pour réduire les inégalités systémiques. L'équipe, composée par Mila Bergman, Leila Manganelli-Pisanu, Pelumi Tunde, Magdalena Gutu, a travaillé sous la supervision des professeures Mme. S. Betina et Mme .M. Verger, ainsi que de leur mentore Mme. Elhounou.

Leur projet met en lumière une disparité importante : la sous-représentation des femmes immigrantes dans les domaines des sciences, de la technologie, de l'ingénierie et des mathématiques (STIM). Au Canada, et particulièrement au Québec, ces femmes se heurtent à des obstacles majeurs tels que le manque d'information, des barrières culturelles et la discrimination.

Pour surmonter ces défis, l'équipe a conçu STIMigrantes, une plateforme numérique de mentorat et de mise en réseau. Le site connecte les femmes immigrantes avec des professionnelles des STIM déjà établies, qui offrent un soutien personnalisé pour les aider à s'adapter et à réussir.

STIMigrantes propose des ressources pour la rédaction de CV, la recherche d'emploi et des opportunités de stages. Son objectif est de briser les stéréotypes de genre, de favoriser l'autonomisation des femmes immigrantes et de leur donner les moyens de réaliser leur plein potentiel dans ces domaines d'avenir.

“Étude comparative des facteurs facilitants l'accès aux STIM chez les femmes immigrantes.”

Download their written report

The project in video

Third Prize

THE STUDY, Team B, won the Voices of Olympia Canada School Competition First Prize of $1,500, with the jury mention for Project with high potential in reducing gender gaps in STEM education. Under the supervision of Ms. Amalia Liogas, and mentorship of Ms. Chloé Gariépy-Bill, the team is composed by Elia Sierra Veill, Joumana Bendjedid, Devyn Handa, Sophie Mendelsohn.

This project addresses the stark gender gap in engineering, which is particularly severe in Quebec. Despite the importance of diverse perspectives in technology, women remain heavily underrepresented in these fields.

After extensive research, including interviews with female engineers, students, and educators, a root cause was identified: a lack of early exposure and hands-on learning.

To combat this, the solution proposes a mandatory, interdisciplinary technology course for students from kindergarten to grade 11 in Quebec schools. The curriculum would focus on experiential and project-based learning in subjects like robotics, programming, and circuit design. The goal is to provide young girls with early, engaging exposure to STEM, break down stereotypes, and ultimately, foster a new generation of female engineers.

« A brighter future for women in STEM: closing the gender gaps in engineering by focusing on youth education. »

Download their written report

The project in video

Fourth Prize

THE STUDY, Team A, won the Voices of Olympia Canada School Competition Fourth prize of $1,000, with the jury mention for Best project using Artificial Intelligence to reduce gender gaps. Under the supervision of Ms. Amalia Liogas, and mentorship of Ms. Chloé Gariépy-Bill, the team is composed by Amy Guo, Emelie Scodras, Elicia Hebert, Zina Habash.

This presentation highlights a significant issue: women represent only 30% of the global AI workforce, and existing AI models frequently exhibit gender and racial bias. This disparity may cause women to feel unsafe and hesitant to pursue careers in STEM.

To address this, the team introduces "Maggie," an AI chatbot designed as a supportive tool for women. Maggie offers a bias-free resource, providing mentorship connections, feminist-specific advice, and scholarship opportunities. The chatbot's goal is to increase women's comfort with AI and encourage their participation in the field.

The team plans to first introduce Maggie at their school to gather feedback before a wider rollout. Their ultimate vision is to make Maggie a global resource that empowers women to confidently engage with AI and become a vital part of its future.

“ Reducing Gender Bias: Transforming Artificial Intelligence.”

Download their writter report

The project in video

Fourth prize ex aequo

The R.E. Mountain Secondary School, Langley, BC, Team A, won the Voices of Olympia Canada School Competition Fourth prize ex-aequo of $1,000, with the jury mention for Best project promoting access to STEM Education. Under the supervision of Mr. Tanguay Exume, and Ms. Mengxia, Yu, Liogas, the team is composed by Gabriela Bezede, Mehgan Sandhu, Asher Gutierrez

This presentation addresses the persistent gender gap in STEM fields, particularly in Canada and in math-intensive disciplines like computer science and engineering. Data from Statistics Canada and other reports highlight that while women's representation is growing, significant disparities remain, driven by limited mentorship, financial barriers, and psychological biases.

To tackle this challenge, the team introduces "HerConnection," a dynamic digital platform designed to empower young women pursuing STEM careers. The platform aims to bridge the gap by providing three key features:

Mentorship: Connecting young women with experienced STEM professionals.
Financial Aid: Offering micro-loans, scholarships, and grants to overcome financial barriers.
Facilitation Hub: Featuring a job board with internships and positions curated specifically for women in STEM.

Through a user-friendly website, HerConnection will serve as a transformative tool to help women confidently navigate their academic and professional journeys, fostering greater gender equity and success in STEM professions.

“ Lack of representation influences accessible education for women in STEM .”

Download their written report

The project in video

The winners in images

Premier Prix
Deuxième Prix
Troisième Prix
Quatrième Prix
Quatrième prix ex-aequo

Testimonies

“The research involved in Olympes de la Parole School Competition has given our team valuable lessons that will guide us throughout our lives. We have come to understand the significance of carefully collecting data and conducting thorough analysis, as this strengthens our argument to propose solution. This experience marks the beginning of our efforts to create positive change beyond the competition, as we believe our team has the potential to create lasting and meaningful change”.

The Study Team B, 2024-2025

“Our team has gained a deeper understanding of the Leaky Pipeline Phenomenon by exploring the challenges women face in STEM industries. This new knowledge helped us recognize and challenge situations where women are underestimated, by identifying root causes of the problem, and developing effective solutions. Throughout this experience, we have strengthened our research and writing skills while immersing ourselves in the world of women in STEM”.

EMSB- Marymount Academy International, Team B, 2024-2025

« Le concours scolaire Olympes de la Parole Canada nous a non seulement permis d’étendre nos connaissances sur les enjeux que rencontrent les femmes immigrantes en STIM, mais également de prendre part activement dans notre communauté. Ce concours nous a également inculqué des qualités, qui nous ont forgé pour le reste de notre vie. Par exemple, la capacité de travailler en équipe, d’effectuer des analyses critiques de données complexes, et une amélioration de notre pensée critique ».

Équipe du Collège Stanislas de Montréal, 2024-2025

“My participation in VOOC has played a major role in giving me the confidence and initiative I need for my future academic pursuits. I have recently graduated as an Honours Science student and a Marianopolis Scholar. This autumn, I will be heading to the University of Toronto to study in Engineering Sciences. Voices of Olympia Canada has given me the push I needed to engage in student initiatives, and I continued to be an active part of student life at Marianopolis, earning a prize for my contribution to STEM activities”.

2025- Shupeng Liu, VOOC Ambassador (2023-2025)

“Because of Olympes de la Parole Canada, we have learned teamwork, perseverance and how to analyze complex issues. Faced with the challenge of finding a creative solution for an issue that affect us all. We discovered new strengths and weaknesses in ourselves, we learned how to do research, write a research paper, make our own AI model and create promotional videos. We have acquired an array of skills that my team and I will use forward in future projects, in schools and in the workplace”.

The Study Team A, 2024-2025

“Throughout this project, we learned how important it is to dig into data in order to understand what we are examining. Gathering information and analysing it vividly is the key to understanding the bigger picture. It feels amazing to know that we are working on something that could make a real difference in how girls view themselves in the world of science, technology, engineering, and math”.

EMSB- Marymount Academy International, Team A, 2024-2025

The Voices of Olympia Canada competition provided us has provided us with a view into the world of innovation and brought out the civilian inside us, driving our desire for bringing a real change in the world. They provided us a supportive platform to analyze a challenge and develop solutions. Throughout this journey, we have learned how crucial it is to take advantage of opportunities, rise to challenges, and utilize all of the resources at our disposal. We learned resilience when we felt like giving up. We have acquired valuable life skills that will help us in our future careers and other situations.

R. E. Mountain, Secondary School Team A, 2024-2025

« Ma participation au concours scolaire et toutes les choses que j'ai apprises durant ce dernier m'ont vraiment permises de réussir à atteindre le domaine d'études de mes rêves et j'en suis donc très reconnaissante. J'ai donc complété le cursus du Baccalauréat du système français. J'entamerai des études de médecine à l'Université de Montréal à la rentrée scolaire 2025 ».

2025- Émilia Duval, Ambassadrice des ODPC (2023-2025)

Award Ceremony