A hackathon that builds bridges for girls who want to enter the world of technology

Careers of the future - The hackathon with a twist was the culmination of this year's four preparatory online workshops designed to stimulate girls' interest in careers in information and communication technologies (ICT). At the workshops, they learned about basic programming concepts, programmed their own games, learned about the safe use of the Internet, and had a lot of fun doing it. On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, girls from all Slovenian regions were faced with a challenge that they had to overcome with logical thinking and cooperation in just under three hours. As all participants of the event agreed, encouraging young people to explore and understand digital skills is key to shaping a future where everyone has equal opportunities. The girls proved that with some effort and persistence, anyone can learn to program and become a creator of technology.

At the hackathon, the girls were faced with the challenge of how they would like their future professions to be presented. To solve the challenge and prepare innovative and creative proposals, they were divided into smaller groups, and together they had to prepare a presentation of their proposal. »I like. It's fun when you program, you can make games and make presentations,Mija from Šentvid Primary School said about the challenge. Ava from Šmarje – Sap Primary School described the work in the group: "At the beginning, we set ourselves too difficult a task. We spent a lot of time deciding what our presentation would be and having fun at the same time."

The girls were joined at the event by speakers who welcomed the girls' enthusiasm for digital education and congratulated them for their outstanding projects and presentations. They agreed that programming is a skill they will use in most professions. The organizers Simbioza and Digital School were particularly proud of their thinking, engagement and products, which for more than five years have focused part of their activities on empowering girls to independently explore emerging fields and technologies.

»We are happy to be able to build bridges together for girls who want to enter the world of technology. The project continues its mission, encouraging girls' curiosity, creativity and self-confidence in ICT and STEM professions (STEM is an abbreviation in English that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, i.e. science, technology, engineering and mathematical disciplines) and opens the door to new opportunities. The organizers would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all the participants, mentors and supporters, without whom it would not have been possible to achieve such a great success and stimulate the interest of young girls in the professions of the future." she explained Ana Pleško, director of Simbioza Genesis, a social enterprise.

He also welcomed the participants of the event Matija Torlak, director and founder of Digital School, who emphasized the importance of connecting girls even outside the screens: "The education of children and adolescents in the field of digital skills is changing, and with the development of technology, the didactic methods of imparting knowledge are also changing. The girls participated extremely well in the online workshops, for them today's event is primarily aimed at getting to know each other, socializing, teamwork and finding solutions. Our wish is to inspire them even more for the professions of the future, with the speeches of successful women in the ICT sector, and to show them all the open paths of the future."

At the event, in addition to the organizers of Symbiosis and Digital School, the Minister for Digital Transformation addressed the audience dr. Emilija Stojmenova Duh: »Predictions about what the professions of the future will be like vary widely. They are just predictions. You know what the famous Danish physicist and Nobel laureate Niels Bohr said: 'Prediction is difficult, especially the future!' However, something is undeniable. Our future is digital and green, i.e. environmentally friendly. Professions for work with information and communication technologies certainly have the most reliably guaranteed future for now. There are few women in these professions today. At the Ministry of Digital Transformation, we implement many projects for training women to work in ICT professions. The world has never been more colorful and better connected than it is today. As digital technologies develop rapidly, so does the number of users, and with them also the number of exciting challenges and potential solutions, as well as opportunities for creative use of modern technologies for the benefit of people and the planet. For few professions can the same be said for this job: the possibilities are truly limitless!"

Three female engineers presented their career paths to the participants, and the US Embassy in Slovenia is also an important supporter of this year's project. The American Embassy Jamie Lindler Harpootlian on this occasion explained why projects for empowering girls in the field of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) professions are important, such as 'Hidden no More' and 'STEAM Power of Role Models': »Closing the gender gap is key to driving innovation. It's a way to leverage everyone's talents and resources to include all people. Role models are very important here. We know that mentors bring added value when they work with girls and women and help them build their confidence. Promoting the full participation of women in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics promotes economic prosperity and growth around the world – for everyone. That's why the US government encourages educational and cultural exchanges that connect young women with their peers and successful role models in the STEAM field."

The organizers and implementers of the project are Digital School and the social enterprise Simbioza. The main supporter of the project is the Ministry of Digital Transformation.