Coaching Circles

The FemSTEM Coaching Circles were adapted from Inova Consultancty’s Mentoring Circles™ methodology which includes coaching, mentoring and action learning techniques to help the participants reach their goals with the support of an experienced facilitator and a small group of peers.

Between June 2021 and November 2021, the consortium organised 28 Circle sessions across five countries and engaged with a total of 74 participants. These were held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequential restrictions regarding face to face activities.

Despite the online delivery and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coaching Circles were a success as participants were able to expand their network of women in STEM and supported each other to achieve their goals. Participants expressed their gratitude for the opportunity and many continued to network with each other after the Circles ended. Additionally, the Circles enabled partners to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by women in STEM and the training that is required to increase the recruitment, retention and progression of women in the sector.

Read our National Pilot Reports (executive summaries in the partner languages are available) and the Comparative Report to learn more about the Coaching Circles and their impact!