The activities carried out as part of the European STAR GIRLS. Supporting Talent & Ambition in Renewable Energy Sector for Girls project by a group of researchers from our Department are continuing. The experimentation phase of mentoring programmes is beginning. In September 2026, consultation workshops were set up to validate the experimental protocol for these activities.
Indeed, the STAR Girls project aims to contribute to reducing the gender gap in the renewable energy sector through women’s empowerment pathways, mentoring, and the promotion of women’s roles in clean energy and sustainability fields. The Department of Human Sciences for Education “Riccardo Massa” at the University of Milano-Bicocca is a project partner and is responsible for the scientific supervision of the mentoring process as well as research on the gender gap.
At this phase of the project, the partnership is developing the tools required to promote mentoring programmes that encourage girls to pursue studies and careers in the green sector and, more broadly, STEM subjects. In order to assess its validity, an experimentation protocol is being drawn up in cooperation with stakeholders. During the workshops, an initial draft of the protocol was presented for validation and assessment of its sustainability within the national context. Through a questionnaire and guiding questions, strengths and potential critical issues were identified, and suggestions for improvement were gathered.
The discussion involved professionals from the fields of education and public policy. The sessions were moderated by researchers from our Department.
If you are interested in the project, please write to: maddalena.sottocorno@unimib.it