Girls Go STEM, an EIT Community initiative that equips girls with digital and entrepreneurial skills and encourages them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), helped Bulgarian student Maria Metodieva turn an idea into an award-winning wildfire prediction concept.
From winning an international innovation award to speaking at European institutions and championing opportunities for young women in science, she has achieved a great deal before turning 20. The initiative was previously known as Girls Go Circular.
Discovering new opportunities in STEM
Maria Metodieva has wanted to be a scientist for as long as she can remember, driven by curiosity about how nature works and how to solve its problems. She had already excelled in chemistry and biology, but Girls Go STEM introduced her to robotics and the circular economy through its learning modules.
In 2023, Maria joined the programme's Robot Design Challenge, where teams of three girls from across Europe developed robot prototypes to tackle environmental problems in their schools or communities. With her teammates Mila and Raya, she developed a concept and prototype that they presented in a three-minute video.
Their project was selected as one of three finalists at the Women and Girls in STEM Forum in Brussels, where they represented Bulgaria.
Predicting wildfires before they start
Inspired by severe wildfires Maria's parents had witnessed in Greece in summer 2023, the team developed FIXON, a concept designed to predict wildfires before they start. It uses a drone equipped with sensors to assess wildfire risk and alert firefighting teams when conditions suggest a fire may be imminent.
From an EIT challenge to international recognition
In January 2024, the team entered the Conrad Challenge, an international innovation competition for students aged 13–18, organised by Space Center Houston. Competing against around 2 000 teams worldwide, FIXON became one of five finalists in the Energy & Environment category. Maria, Mila and Raya were the only European finalists in their category.
In April 2024, Maria, then 17, travelled with her teammates to Space Center Houston, where FIXON won the Best Power Pitch Award in the Energy & Environment category at the Conrad Challenge Innovation Summit.
Two days later, Maria represented Girls Go STEM at the European Commission's Digital Education Action Plan review in Brussels. She spoke about women in STEM and young people's ability to help solve real-world problems.
Inspiring the next generation of women in STEM
Since its launch in 2020, Girls Go STEM has reached more than 100 000 students and partnered with more than 2 000 schools in over 37 European countries.
As a Girls Go STEM Ambassador in 2024–2025, Maria shared her experience at EIT Alumni CONNECT in Alicante.
Beyond these achievements, Girls Go STEM has had a lasting impact on Maria's confidence in her own abilities.
Girls Go STEM has mostly affected the way I view my capabilities. It made me realise that I can create my own product which can someday become a reality. Without Girls Go STEM, I probably would not be able to imagine anything close to this.
Maria Metodieva, Girls Go STEM Alumni
Building a future in science and innovation
Now studying molecular biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich, Maria hopes to combine scientific research with entrepreneurship, eventually launching a startup that benefits people and the environment while encouraging other girls to pursue STEM.
Maria's journey illustrates how the EIT Community's Girls Go STEM programme can help young women develop new skills, build confidence and turn their ideas into innovative solutions.
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