There are multiple ways to determine whether a university outreach program has been successful.
For Associate Head of School (Research) Professor Linda Hobbs, who co-lead the Girls as Leaders in STEM (GALS) program with Associate Professor Lihua Xu and their colleagues, one compelling data point is the GALS presentation ceremony where participating students share their science projects in front of a public audience.
‘Just to see the girls on stage and to see the delight in the parents’ faces to see their child really standing out and having that success is really terrific,’ Professor Hobbs says.
‘Getting the feedback directly from the parents who say: “This has been so good for my daughter. We’re so proud of her. You’re doing such a terrific job” is very affirming.’
Professor Hobbs has also received feedback from the students themselves.
Professor Hobbs, Honorary Professor Coral Campbell and Associate Professor Xu devised GALS in partnership with the Invergowrie Foundation, a philanthropic foundation with a current focus on advancing the education of women and girls in Victoria through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). In 2017, the Foundation commissioned the Girls’ Future – Our Future report, whose recommendations paved the way for GALS.
In 2025, GALS was delivered in 21 schools to over 190 female students in Geelong and Warrnambool through Deakin, and in Ballarat through Federation University and the Ballarat Tech School. Students from Years 5 to 8 elect to complete the program in their spare time, on top of their usual subjects. The popularity of the initiative has inspired the creation of an alumni arm, the GALS Academy, to maintain STEM engagement in the longer term.
Professor Hobbs explains that GALS complements classroom STEM instruction, which allows participants to go deeper on a real-world problem that interests them. Working in groups, students conduct research for the rest of the term, culminating in a poster presentation in front of their peers and families. The GALS team have created a range of resources to guide young students and their teachers through the design process.
‘We have problem cards that are built around particular industries and we did a lot of industry collaboration to develop those,’ Professor Hobbs says.
When GALS was launched in 2019, the Deakin project team reached out to nearby schools in Geelong with which they had previously partnered. School teacher Isje Turang-Timmins from Saint Ignatius College in Geelong was an early adopter supporting the program at her school since 2019.
‘Overall, I’ve noticed that the girls that I have worked with in GALS have often become leaders in the school. You see them get up at assemblies because of the confidence and teamwork, the collaboration – they have really thrived because of it.’
Isje has been surprised by the diversity of chosen research projects and the flow-on effects of the students’ inquiry.
‘One of the GALS projects our girls did was to survey the school in terms of the impact of rubbish. They sorted the rubbish bins and separated soft plastics and hard plastics. They even considered the waste being produced by our 3D printers. Then they started talking about governance and policy and asked for a meeting with the principal to discuss their findings. Their passion was ignited.’
Another project saw Saint Ignatius students repurpose recycled clothing to make blankets for a nearby animal shelter.
As a busy teacher and mother of three girls, Isje has found the program to be personally rewarding, too.
‘There’s something special about seeing girls realise that they can be creative, while also being good at science, technology, engineering and maths. If that can be nurtured, then they get power and they can tackle the world.’
Learn more about the GALS program and view student presentations.
Read more stories from the 2025 Deakin Difference donor impact report
