Girls Into Coding (GIC) is a social enterprise co-founded by Avye, the now 13-year-old Multi Tech Award Winner and her mother Helene. GIC is highly committed to redressing the gender imbalance in the Tech and Maker community while championing gender diversity and challenging stereotypes in STEM. Their overarching aim is to contribute towards a situation where girls and women are engaged in STEM activities, education & careers, equally comfortable, with an equal sense of belonging and in equal numbers.
GIC aims to empower at least 1000 girls aged 10 to 14, each year, by providing FREE hands-on opportunities to explore coding, robotics, physical computing & 3D printing. Ultimately to develop confidence & a sense of belonging in tech settings, while fostering belief in their abilities, to embark upon becoming the tech leaders of the future.
Like so many organisations, GIC felt the impact of Covid-19, social distancing meant scheduled in-person events could no longer go ahead.
Nonetheless, GIC adapted their strategy to be able to engage virtually with their community, so far successfully delivering 17 Virtual events via Zoom reaching hundreds of girls.
To promote inclusivity and retain the hands-on elements of their offering they developed materials & resources, designed & manufactured a range of robotics kits suitable for remote workshops, which they post out to the girls along with other hardware. This ensures that the girls all have everything they need at home to physically participate (building/assembly & coding) in the live online workshops led by Avye & a team of other dedicated mentors.
They also collaborate with a range of incredible female role models who deliver inspirational talks at the events. This presents a valuable opportunity for the girls to also engage in Q & A and discussions, helping to enhance their awareness of the female presence and importance in the STEM world.
