Impact Stories from Youth Engagement Policy Area
Team Pakistan shares action plan updates in guest blog post
Fellow(s): Saima Shabbir, Zainab Saleem
Country: Pakistan
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
In a new guest post published on the TechWomen blog, 2017 fellows of Pakistan Saima Shabbir and Zainab Saleem provide updates on their seed grant-winning action plan project, She For Tech. Addressing Pakistan’s gender disparity in science and technology, She For Tech aims to inspire the next generation of women to become engaged and involved in STEM through critical thinking, problem solving and technology comprehension for young women, as well as a mentorship and support network.
This month, they held a one-day program at a local public school in Islamabad, bringing together women mentors in STEM careers who educated students on opportunities in STEM fields. By using the “Three Cs”—career counseling, camps and competitions—and engaging a community of mentors, She For Tech hopes to educate girls on STEM careers, provide free online resources and exciting challenges, and encourage young women to eradicate stereotypes in their country.
Report Date: 9/3/2018
Fellow launches training initiative for local youth
Fellow(s): Mpara Faith
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2017 fellow of Cameroon Mpara Faith recently launched ICT4KIDS, a training program to educate and empower local children in Cameroon. Using lessons in computer programming, game development and graphic design, Mpara and her staff spent six weeks training 16 girls and boys ages five to 18.
The program culminated at the University of Buea in a closing ceremony, during which participants received certificates and prizes for their various projects developed during the training sessions. ICT4KIDS also released a video featuring program highlights, such as in-class programming, game design and cartooning sessions.
While in TechWomen, Mpara was mentored at Synopsys and was a member of the seed grant-winning team behind Able Too. Currently, she is the co-founder and operations manager at New Generation Technologies and was named one of the 50 most influential young Cameroonians in 2017.
Report Date: 9/3/2018
Team Tunisia wins four awards at FIRST Global Challenge 2018
Fellow(s): Faten Khalfallah
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2015 fellow of Tunisia Faten Khalfallah led a group of students to victory at the 2018 FIRST Global Challenge in Mexico City. The annual robotics competition, which centers on 14 Grand Challenges for improving life on the planet as identified by the U.S National Academy of Engineering, brings together 192 countries in a three-day Olympics-style robotics competition. Team Tunisia, comprised of local youth mentored by Faten, won two gold medals: the Dr. Mae Jemison Award for International Unity, awarded to teams that break down barriers and build bridges, and the Munsa Mousa award for fundraising. They also won the Social Media Award, and Faten was presented the Outstanding Mentor Award for her exceptional leadership.
While in the TechWomen program, Faten was hosted at Autodesk, learning more about 3D design software. After returning home, she organized a summer tech camp to bring students together for five days of immersive STEM experiences and was selected as a 2016 Generation Change Fellow from the United States Institute of Peace. Currently, she is a regional project coordinator and ambassador of the VEX Girl-Powered Initiative at VEX Robotics.
Report Date: 8/27/2018
Fellow shares delegation trip experience in blog post
Fellow(s): Binta Moustapha
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
In a blog written for Science Communication Hub Nigeria, 2014 fellow Binta Moustapha shares her experience during the TechWomen delegation trip to Nigeria, where she faciliatated a hands-on STEM day for girls aged 13-18 in Abuja:
“The beauty of the workshop and others hosted during this visit was an amazing opportunity for some of these delegates – the Tech Ambassadors – to get the first-hand experience of Nigeria while providing meaningful transfer of knowledge skills and experience with both the participants and the TechWomen fellows… We should continually promote such exchanges, especially the acquisition of digital skills and making science fun to learn.”
Binta’s post, “TechPlomacy: a new frontier for Nigeria,” can be found here.
Report Date: 8/20/2018
Team South Africa shares action plan news in guest blog post
Fellow(s): Emily Pather and Team South Africa
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
2017 fellow of South Africa Emily Pather authored a guest post for the TechWomen blog on behalf of KasiMaths, a seed grant-winning action plan project. Team South Africa conceived of KasiMaths through the desire to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged students: “Kasi” refers to township areas that house historically socially and economically disadvantaged people. Inspired by the program’s mission statement – Math is Fun, Math is Essential, Math is Everywhere – KasiMaths helps these students develop mathematical skills and gain confidence in their abilities.
This June, KasiMaths launched their first hub in partnership with the U.S Embassy in South Africa and the Rosa Park Library in Soweto. “We have 16 eager students and five passionate volunteers,” says Emily. Moving forward, team South Africa hopes that their community-based approach and low-cost delivery model will allow KasiMaths to be scalable, replicable and continue to have meaningful impact in their community.
Report Date: 8/20/2018
Fellow launches STEM training program for youth
Fellow(s): Beatrice Sonfack
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2016
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2016 fellow of Cameroon Beatrice Sonfack recently launched INNOVTECH, an after-school training program for local youth. The program begins with STEM-based teaching and training and culminates in a week of hands-on activities and experiments in a local makerspace. At the end of INNOVTECH, students present their projects to a panel of judges, competing for the opportunity to receive mentoring and guidance on how to bring their project to market. The program is part of Wentech, an initiative Beatrice launched that encourages young girls to become involved in STEM through education and training.
Beatrice, an electrical engineer and educator, was hosted by Folsom Labs while in the TechWomen program.
Read More »Report Date: 8/13/2018
Mentor(s): Rekha Pai, Erin Keeley, Maile Smith, Diana Macias, Bianca Lederer, Sandra Chen
Company: Cresta Ventures, Facebook, Genentech, Twitter, Western Digital
Mentor Type: Impact, Professional
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
A group of six TechWomen mentors traveled to Malaysia to lead programming to empower, connect and support the next generation of women leaders in STEM fields. Supported by the U.S. Department of State and working closely with U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Rekha Pai (of Cresta Ventures), Erin Keeley (Western Digital), Maile Smith (Northgate Environmental Management), Diana Macias (Twitter), Bianca Liederer (Genentech) and Sandra Chen (Facebook) met with government representatives, women in the workforce, youth leaders, entrepreneurs and government-sponsored incubators throughout the country.
Rekha, a longtime TechWomen mentor, previously traveled to Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore as part of the U.S. Speakers Program, sponsored by the Bureau of International Information Programs. Following the success of her earlier trip, Rekha was invited back and assembled a team of mentors, nearly all of whom have participated in past TechWomen delegation trips, to join the “Women in Tech Delegation.” The group participated as judges and mentors at the National Science Challenge, a premier science competition that included 2,400 teams from over 50,000 students throughout Malaysia. They also visited Penang Science Cluster and met entrepreneurs at MaGIC, Malaysia’s government-sponsored global innovation and incubation center.
Report Date: 8/13/2018
Fellow launches STEM makerspace for local children
Fellow(s): Saba Rasheed Malik
Country: Pakistan
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
Fellow Saba Rasheed Malik (2017) of Pakistan has launched weePro, a program that provides a collaborative learning experience for children and teenagers. Designed to develop skills such as computational thinking, creativity and analysis, weePro’s programming includes a STEM-based makerspace, as well as a robotics and programming camp. At weePro, students are immersed in STEM-based learning, developing code for autonomous robots and conducting experiments that teach working principles of automobiles, vacuum cleaners and floating boats. Recently, weePro completed its pilot program in partnership with a local community center. “It turned out to be a life-changing experience for them,” says Saba.
While in the TechWomen program, Saba worked on the development of educational games at Lumosity. Since her return to Pakistan, in addition to launching weePro, Saba has organized civic hackathons and technology-driven bootcamps for young girls. Currently, she is an assistant professor in computer science at the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Read More »Report Date: 8/6/2018
Team Cameroon shares action plan news in guest blog post
Fellow(s): Meyo Zongo, Patu Ndango Fen, Danielle Akini, Mpara Faith and Beatrice Nguimkeng
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
2017 fellows of Cameroon Meyo Zongo and Patu Ndango Fen authored a post for the TechWomen blog this week to provide an update on their seed grant-winning action plan project. Danielle Akini, Mpara Faith and Beatrice Nguimkeng are also members of Team Cameroon, which is implementing Able Too, an initiative that aims to serve as a resource for parents and teachers of special needs children. The team has built its interactive online platform, identified potential partner schools and fostered partnerships with organizations aligned with their mission, such as the Hope Inclusive Foundation, a teacher training center in Yaoundé.
Able Too recently launched their pilot teacher training program at the Tassah Academic Complex, facilitating workshops on inclusive teaching, including strategies to creatively engage hyperactive children.
Report Date: 7/23/2018
Fellows win AEIF grant for youth STEM camp in Lebanon
Fellow(s): Sabine El Kahi and Aseel Honein
Country: Lebanon
Cohort: 2013 & 2014
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Fellows Sabine El Kahi (2014) and Aseel Honein (2013) of Lebanon are winners of an Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) award for their Orion STEM camp, which will introduce youth to different aspects of technology, including design, electronics, coding and gaming. Intended for students 12 to 18 years old, the camp will bring young adults together to collaborate and solve challenges through a scientific lens. The program will reserve half of its spots for students from underserved communities.
During the camp’s closing ceremony, participants will have the opportunity to pitch their innovative ideas and demonstrate their learnings. Sabine and Aseel hope that students will gain valuable skills through engagement with design thinking, architecture, game making and mechanical engineering.
AEIF awards support alumni initiatives that promote shared values and innovative solutions to global challenges. Out of more than 1,300 applications submitted this year, Sabine and Aseel’s project is one of just 70 to be selected for a grant and is funded under the AEIF theme of Advancing Science, Technology, Health and Innovation.
Report Date: 7/23/2018
