“Girls are breaking boundaries and barriers posed by stereotypes and exclusion, including those directed at children with disabilities and those living in marginalized communities. As entrepreneurs, innovators and initiators of global movements, girls are creating a world that is relevant for them and future generations.” - un.org
In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, which would serve as a recognition of girls’ rights and the challenges faced by young women around the world. The day focuses attention on gender discrepancies and seeks to promote empowerment and fulfillment of equal rights.
In celebration of the International Day of the Girl, TechPoint Foundation for Youth (TPF4Y) hosted its second annual International Day of the Girl Virtual Coding Event presented by Guggenheim Life and Annuity, Indy Women in Tech and Lessonly, on Wednesday, October 14th.
The event opened with a panel of 4 female Indiana STEM experts who shared their career stories and offered advice to the young females in attendance. Each panelist was carefully selected to represent a variety of STEM expertise: Claire Bishop, a robotics student and our STEMCast host, Brittany Hutter, a STEM Partner and Associate Software Engineer at Lessonly, Kate Maxwell, Technical Director for Raytheon and TPF4Y board member and Katherine Kiang, a scientist at Lilly!
Kate Maxwell shared her advice to the young attendees: “Be brave and lean into the things that maybe cause you a little bit of discomfort...I wanted to try computer science and I did, and it has completely changed my life.”
Watch Kate’s Panel Interview here:
A major theme of the event was the diversity of the STEM field. Katherine underlined this message when sharing about the discovery of her career: “I realized all the types of opportunities I could do with my degree, that aren’t just in a lab”.
Katherine’s Panel Interview here:
Brittany used her panel time to discuss how she found her professional fit as a coder: “All of us can have our own voice and contribute our own part into the code in a way that meshes nicely.”
Brittany’s Interview here:
When asked about her relationship to STEM, Claire talked about the community she has found and the skills she has developed through her involvement in competitive robotics. “Within robotics, I really enjoy the team aspect. When I think of STEM, I see it more as a community, or a family. You’re designing solutions. You’re answering problems, you’re solving problems. You’re using your brain to think critically.” After the panel discussion, robotics student Claire led the attendees through a coding exercise showing students how to use a virtual robotics coding software that allows students to code and virtually control a robot.
Claire Leading the Coding Activity:
At TPF4Y, we prioritize serving Indiana students from families identified as low income and/or of low educational attainment, especially female and non-white students. This population is under-represented in STEM education and, as adults, in STEM-related careers. Through TPF4Y events such as the International Day of the Girl Virtual Coding Event, and opportunities like the Girl Powered Robotics Grant, we connect our priority population to technology education by providing resources, mentorship, and experiential learning.
Our goal is to ensure young women know the value of their place in the STEM industry. We hope events like the International Day of the Girl Virtual Coding Event will inspire young women to be confident in their pursuit of a STEM career.
We want to thank our partners, Guggenheim Life and Annuity, Indy Women in Tech, and Lessonly, for making this event a reality. Our success as an organization is dependent upon relationships with local companies that support gender equality and technology education for all.