For the third year in a row, Microsoft has brought back it’s MakeWhatsNext campaign, just in time for International Women’s Day.
Currently, only 6.7 percent of U.S. women (and 16 percent of women globally) graduate college with STEM degrees. Through this campaign, Microsoft makes a plea to girls: to change the world stay in STEM and #MakeWhatsNext.
The campaign created by m:united//McCann launched globally on March 7, just as International Women’s Day is starting around the world, and will span broadcast, online/digital, events and social media including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter, which will have a “First View”, a first for Microsoft and Twitter, and a Twitter Conversation Card to showcase the video and drive conversation.
“When it comes to STEM the issue is even bigger than the gender gap,” explained Daniela Vojta, Executive Creative Director, m:united//McCann. “By next year there could be 2.4 million unfilled jobs in these fields.”
“We need to harness innovation, creativity, ingenuity and intelligence to change the world for the better and it just happens that half of that talent is in women,” she added. “We can’t allow all this talent and opportunity to go to waste.”
In the videos, Microsoft asks girls about the problems they are most passionate about solving. It also delves in to what the girls want to accomplish, which ranges from finding solutions to climate change to curing cancer – and also the harsh reality: without the necessary STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math] skills, they probably won’t solve them.
Microsoft will introduce new programs and resources on www.MakeWhatsNext.com that will help young girls take the next step in making their STEM dreams a reality, including a new experimental tool being launched by Microsoft and LinkedIn to demonstrate how girls can pursue their passions across industries and social causes.
“Besides just showing girls how STEM can help turn their passions into action we also want to give them some ownership of the issue and make sure they realize they have the power to change the odds,” Susan Young, Executive Creative Director, m:united//McCann told DIVERGE.
