Not-For-Profits in STEM Education winner 2025
CSES is delighted to announce that, following a nomination by Chelmsford County High School for Girls (CCHS), we have been selected as a winner of the 2025 SheCanCode STEM Educator Awards!
The SheCanCode team said:
Your organisation's dedication to inspiring the next generation of women in STEM has not gone unnoticed. Through your work, you’ve helped break down barriers, spark curiosity, and create more inclusive opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and maths.
Our community and judging panel were incredibly impressed by your passion, innovation, and commitment to driving change.
Our sincere thanks to Preena Kurian, Physics & STEM Lead at CCHS, with whom we have been collaborating on several projects recently and who very kindly nominated CSES for this award (citation below). We look forward to continue working with Preena and the team at CCHS!
The Chelmsford Science and Engineering Society (CSES) has been instrumental in enhancing the STEM extracurricular provision at Chelmsford County High School for Girls (CCHS). Advocates of women in STEM CSES has, over many years, generously supported CCHS in various STEM initiatives thereby enriching the academic experience of our students and inspiring them to choose careers in traditionally male-dominated areas such as engineering and computing
One of the most notable events supported by CSES is the annual TEXPO competition. This event provides a platform for aspiring engineers to demonstrate their creativity and technical skills. The competition provides a wonderful opportunity for students engage with industry experts and gain valuable insights into the engineering sector. Last year, CCHS showcased seven exemplary projects alongside other schools in the TEXPO Competition with four of these projects coming from the Year 10 Engineering club. This club was successfully established thanks to the generous support of CSES, which provided essential materials and ongoing mentorship. In addition to the resources, CSES generously gave their time, arranging for an experienced engineer to visit the club weekly, offering valuable guidance and expertise to help students refine their projects and develop their engineering skills.
The annual Christmas lecture, offered free of charge, is an excellent opportunity for many of our students, as well as students from various schools across Essex, to listen to and engage with prominent scientists and engineers. Alongside this, the monthly public lectures offer deeper insights into the recent developments in technology, innovation and research.
In addition, some of our Year 10 students have been fortunate to take part in their Saturday Club, another initiative by CSES, which explores different areas of STEM, further enriching their learning experience. Through hands-on activities, interactive workshops and mentorship from industry professionals, students developed a wide range of technical skills and gained valuable practical insights into potential career opportunities.
As well as the considerable benefits of the extensive clubs that they support our students also benefit from their support with interviews as they generously give their time to run practice interviews for admissions to prestigious institutions for STEM related courses. There is no doubt that this charity organisation which relies on a group of enthusiastic and committed volunteers is inspiring our younger generation to join the UK’s STEM force.