AI in the Classroom: Creating a deepfake with a Deputy Prime Minister

The STEM Monitor 2021 shows that more and more girls are opting for a STEM study programme. A positive and much-needed change. But how can you motivate girls to opt for the sciences? The Unicorn programme for girls in STEAM studies at Sint-Lievens College in Ghent tries to do just that. Through an emphasis on the arts within STEaM, female role models, an elaborate learning line about AI in the classroom ... We have been doing this for five years now. To celebrate this, Vice Prime Minister Petra De Sutter came to attend an AI lesson on 11 February, 'International Day of Girls in Science'!

Inspire - Connect - Celebrate
The Unicorn programme was launched in 2017 with the aim of continuing to inspire and motivate girls in STEaM study programmes at Sint-Lievens College. A special student council, the Unicorn Council, consisting only of girls, organises company visits (TomTom, Dow Chemical... ) and meetings with female scientists and role models. Recently, Angelique Van Ombergen (ESA) spoke to the girls about her work. In addition, the 'Unicorns' of Sint-Lievens College organise programming workshops during the lunch break for pupils from non-STEaM related fields of study.

Design Thinking and Artificial Intelligence as subjects in the curriculum

Despite the recent modernisation of secondary education in the school year 2019-2020, St. Lievens College was forced to introduce new subjects such as Design Thinking and Artificial Intelligence in secondary education in order to respond to the many new technological and social challenges. It is no coincidence that the demonstrable social and societal added value of STEM subjects is an essential lever to attract girls to STEM study programmes. Inspired by the Finnish plan to give 1% of the population a basic education in Artificial Intelligence, a team of teachers at Sint-Lievens College developed a learning line in computer sciences that builds from the first secondary school to the subject Artificial Intelligence in the third secondary school. Students discover how it works, clone their own voice, apply AI in subjects like Greek and Latin ...

In the press

Our event was picked up by the press. From "Sint-Lievens College celebrates 5 years of 'Unicorns'" at AVS to "Pupils make fake film of Vice Prime Minister De Sutter" at Het Nieuwsblad. HLN too titled "Pupils make deepfake film of Vice Prime Minister Petra De Sutter".