Future Scientists Program Empowers Israeli Girls for Tech Careers
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Israel's "Future Scientists" program is successfully encouraging girls, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds, to pursue STEM fields, with 80% of its latest cohort choosing scientific or technological majors. The initiative aims to address declining national PISA scores and the persistent gender gap in the high-tech industry, though challenges like the "glass ceiling" remain.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Future Scientists program sees 80% of participants choose STEM majors.
- Program aims to boost Israel's scientific talent pool, especially for girls.
- Success comes amid declining national PISA scores.
- Significant gender gap persists in Israel's high-tech sector.
- Initiative targets girls from peripheral and underrepresented communities.
The "Future Scientists" program, aimed at bolstering Israel's scientific and technological capabilities, particularly among girls, has concluded its seventh cohort with notable success. Approximately 350 teenage girls from across the country, many from geographically and socially peripheral areas, gathered at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to mark the program's completion. This initiative, operated by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology in collaboration with the Branco Weiss Foundation and the Ministry of Education, seeks to address the challenge of building a broader scientific and technological base in Israel, especially for young women whose paths to academia and high-tech careers are not always clear.
Results from the seventh cohort show that 80% of participants chose to study at least one scientific or technological major, significantly higher than the national average. Furthermore, 60% are studying advanced mathematics (5 units) and 69% are studying advanced English (5 units). These figures are particularly significant against the backdrop of the 2025 PISA test results, which indicated a concerning decline in the fundamental skills of Israeli students.
The "Future Scientists" program recruits potential students in the 8th grade and provides long-term, non-formal education support through 11th grade. This support includes academic enrichment in science, math, and English, leadership and personal empowerment development, exposure to academia and industry through site visits and meetings with role models, and preparation for the psychometric entrance exam to ease access to higher education.
Despite the program's success, a significant gender gap persists in Israel's high-tech sector. In 2025, women constituted only about 34% of high-tech employees, with representation in research and development at 28.4%. The disparity is even more pronounced for Arab and ultra-Orthodox women. The program aims to equip girls with essential tools, but challenges remain in overcoming the "glass ceiling" in later career stages, as evidenced by ongoing salary gaps even for those with equivalent STEM degrees.
Currently, about 2,000 students are active in 100 "Future Scientists" study groups nationwide, including groups within Arab, Druze, Bedouin, and ultra-Orthodox communities. The program is seen not just as a social agenda but as a strategic necessity for maintaining the resilience of the Israeli economy, especially as national scientific talent pools face risks.