Girls need more Coding Bootcamps

I sat in the back row, paying close attention to the presentations of young girls chosen to attend the two-week African Girls Can Code bootcamp at Northern Academy in Limpopo Province, Polokwane.

The 40 girls were identified throughout South Africa's four inland provinces (Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West). These girls were getting hands-on experience with coding, robotics, artificial intelligence, and other digital tools that would help them advance to STEM careers. 

"STEM jobs are the economic future." During her robotics lesson presentation, Emmah Mphahlele, Managing Director and Founder of Kids Innovate, encouraged the girls to pursue STEM subjects.

The focus of the bootcamp was "Re-imagining and re-thinking STEM education in the Fourth Industrial Revolution."  The United Nations Women South Africa Multi-Country Office, in collaboration with the Departments of Basic Education and Science and Innovation, is supporting the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI).  Siemens and the Belgian government are sponsors and supporters of the AGCCI.

My job in the bootcamp was to present on several Coding platforms that these young ladies can take back to others in their schools, as asked by the National Research Forum - South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (NRF-SAASTA). They also learn about Unplugged Coding by utilizing the Tanks app. I saw their inquisitive movements as they touched each token in preparation for the Tanks coding assignments. The Tanks App is designed in such a way that it teaches a variety of abilities. Tanks Coding players quickly improve their teamwork, leadership, analytical, and problem-solving abilities. Ms. Mphahlele also taught the girls how to create their own narrative projects using the Scratch coding platform.

"I've never experienced cyberbullying in my life, but now I know how to respond to it when it happens," most of the girls said after one of the Techwomen Mentors from the United States delivered a presentation on Cyber Security through Zoom. The girls were undoubtedly exposed to life-changing talents in the digital industry.

We have organized a meetup event in August with the four girls from Mpumalanga to provide a platform for these AGCCI girls to share and continue their path into STEM Career sectors.