A web-based mentoring program is connecting girls and young women with role models who can help guide them to a future in science and engineering.

Cybermentor, which operates out of the University of Calgary, aims to broaden girls’ knowledge of career opportunities in STEM areas – science, technology, engineering and math – and motivate girls to pursue these interests in high school and post-secondary.

Girls in grades 6-12 communicate with their mentors each week via online messaging. Their mentors are scientists and engineers with experience ranging from undergraduate students to research professionals, who share their enthusiasm for math and science and provide resources and motivation to help girls excel in STEM fields. Cybermentor’s web-based approach eliminates geographic barriers, filling a gap for young girls in rural and remote communities who may not otherwise have access to mentorship opportunities.

Cybermentor engages approximately 300 mentor/ mentee pairings each year. NSERC PromoScience funding is helping Cybermentor enhance its online mentoring experience and increase the program’s reach and scope to offer more workshops and reach more young women.

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