Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
The United State (US) Department of State’s Tech Women Programme, through volunteer/mentor Kathy Giori, has successfully engaged 50 Secondary School girls in Abuja, Nigeria, introducing them to the world of physical computing.
Giori, an electrical engineer from San Francisco, California, notes that she was on a mission to encourage young minds, particularly girls, to explore the realms of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) technology.
Speaking to newsmen at the Tech Women Exchange Alumni Technology Workshop for Public Secondary School Girls, Giori explained that MicroBlocks is an open-source software initiative that focuses on providing children with hands-on experience using affordable microcontrollers.
She believes that through these tiny devices, students can learn to code and use sensors to address real-world challenges, making the world a better place, she said.
” I want children to understand they can use little tiny sensors to instrument the world, take actions upon it, and then make the world a better place.
“ The success in Nigeria has sparked interest from other African countries, with plans to expand the programme, including potential collaborations with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Morocco.”
The President of the Tech Women Nigeria Alumni Association, Carolyn Seaman, highlighted the significance of the visit during the Tech Community Impact Week.
Seaman emphasized the positive impact on 50 secondary school girls through the MicroBlocks workshop.
Seaman further outlined the broader objectives of the Tech Women Programme, emphasizing its role in fostering cross-cultural collaborations and empowering women in technology globally.
She said, “ The programme not only brings mentors to different countries but also facilitates knowledge exchange and collaborative projects among fellows.
“ We envision a sustainable impact, with the hope that the lessons learned by both mentors and students will be applied to further STEM education in the region.” She said.
United State Exchange Alumni Stella Uzochukwu, on her part, noted that they aim to ensure that students not just learn micro beads but are exposed to the fab lab space.
She stated that the goal of the workshop was to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills for children and ensure that the participants could apply these abilities not just during the program but also within their communities.
She said, “ Today’s activities were centred around instilling problem-solving capabilities, contributing to the broader objective of cultivating a generation of proactive thinkers.”
The lead point of contact and a 2014 Tech Women Fellow, Binta Mustapha, on her part noted that Tech Women program encompassing women from 21 countries, including Nigeria, orchestrated a series of activities throughout March, culminating in the official closure today.
Mustapha emphasized that the program is not exclusive to women in the ICT field, citing her own experience as a Waste Wealth Fellow at the San Francisco Department of Environment.
She further urged for the promotion of tech career opportunities for both genders, partnerships, and collaborations to address issues and track eco-friendly solutions in schools.
