It is the only program with longitudinal impact data to show how tech-entrepreneurship experience has lasting effects on attitudes, beliefs, higher ed and career choices
LOS ANGELES, August 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The gender gap in technology and STEM is real. Only one in four computing jobs are held by women, there are nearly ten male engineers for every female in the industry and pay gaps, and a lack of representation for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ still exist. Too many girls around the world still lack access to a quality education.
Technovation
Technovationnonprofit dedicated to empowering young women to use innovative technologies to solve real world problems in their communities, is at the forefront of mentoring and empowering young women to get a seat at the table and solve important issues—climate change, poverty, health care, equity, and education—while discussing gender disparities in tech and STEM.
That’s the backdrop and context for Technovation’s 11th Annual World Summit, held around August 12. The Summit recognizes the achievements of girls, ages 8-18, who have participated in Technovation Girls, Technovation’s 12-week curriculum program. During Technovation’s 2021-22 season, 16,000+ participants from over 100 countries worked on nearly 1,700 mobile apps to tackle problems in their communities primarily related to climate action, quality education, health and wellness. As the world’s largest and longest-running tech entrepreneurship competition for girls, it is the only program with longitudinal impact data to show how tech-entrepreneurship experience has lasting effects on attitudes, beliefs, higher education and career options for girls. Participants in this curriculum-based program work with mentors and local ambassadors to help their community and develop their own technical and leadership skills.
Technovation introduced several new components in its 2022 season, launching a Beginner Division, an AI curriculum and a new Alumnae Changemaker Award, presented to an alumna who is responding to climate change. AI is a major focus in 2021-2022. In October 2021Technovation launched the season with a special live discussion about why the success of AI depends on women. Technovation’s new AI curriculum and submission track resulted in nearly 270 Technovation teams—one of six participating teams—using AI in their apps and tech solutions.
The August 12 The event gathered the global Technovation community in a virtual space to hear from powerful and relevant female voices, including NASA astronauts Zena Cardman; a “Role Models” panel with To Malcolm Senior Director, Database Product Management at Oracle and Lashes.Love.Tech Podcast Host; Ella Hilal, PhD, VP of Data Science and Engineering, Commercial and Service lines at Shopify; and Krithika SaikrishnanLead Software Engineer at FactSet, the panel was moderated by Technovation alumna Grace Attallaco-founder and head of Joy to Joban organization founded by Grace through participation in Technovation in 2020, to help students explore careers by connecting with professionals.
The keynote speaker of the event was Michelle Muchilwa who won the 2021 Technovation Africa Regional Award for his app Ziwa Safi, which fights plastic pollution in the world’s largest tropical lake. He has since been identified as a National Geographic Young Explorersa TIME Kid Hero for the Planetand named a 2022 Diana Award winner, an award established in memory of Princess Diana.
The girls also had the opportunity to participate in a workshop, by Shopify, on how to create an elevator pitch with Jennifer VillegasSenior Engagement Program Manager and Shashini Harischandra, Facilitator, Learning Acceleration at Shopify. The event closed with an award ceremony, presided over by CEO of Technovation Tara Chklovski.
Below are this year’s award recipients (more details here):
BEGINNER DIVISION | 8 – 12 years old
Social Innovation Award
Mariam Yusuf, Sabrina said, Amina Ramadhan, Jadida Jawadu, Aliath Abdul | team FAHARI YA MSICHANA | Tanzania
For their app Andalioa digital lesson planning tool for teachers.
Technology Award
Melissa Mel, Samantha Silva, Catarina da Rocha Ferreiraand Katarina Silva | team Connected Girls | Brazil
For their app Connected Earswhich helps alert hearing-impaired users of impending danger.
Grand Prize
Anika Jha | team The Unstoppable Tech Girl | India
For his app cHHhange – This is Normalan app that teaches young people about puberty, which is often seen as a taboo subject.
JUNIOR DIVISION | 13 – 15 years old
Social Innovation Award
Rozilla Lenanyukie, Siana Lekuraa, Felister Nashipae, Jacinta Lerte and Dorcas Kanipa | group Almasi | Kenya
For their app EndCutwhich aims to stop Female Genital Mutilation and early marriage by providing an alternative path to economic empowerment for women in the Samburu community.
Technology Award
Sophia Liu, Sonia Lackey and Gwyneth Deng | group 6-Asthma | United States
For their app 6-Asthmaa tool designed for asthma patients.
Grand Prize
Spurti Nimbali | Epicare group | India
For their app EpiCarewhich helps people diagnosed with epilepsy during emergencies.
SENIOR DIVISION | 16 – 18 years old
Social Innovation Award
Khushalli Shah and Renee Jain | team STEMgirls123 | India
For their app pullwhich normalized female nursing.
Technology Award
Diana Alcota Varas and Magdalena Araya-Velasquez | group Justicia Senior 13 | Chile
For their app TAI: diffusion of Technology, Learning and Innovationwhich allows users to access and share projects, current people who inspire them, organizations, tools, royalty-free material and other resources with each other.
Grand Prize
Sally Lee | team ShareEdu | United States
For his app ShareEDUwhich gives schools and teachers around the world an accurate and convenient way of monitoring group discussions with an immediate and multifaceted evaluation or feedback on student participation.
SPECIAL PRIZES
Winner of the Changemaker Award
Winnie Msamba | Kenya | Morogoro Cocopeat
For his work Morogoro Cocopeatan initiative to help small farmers switch to more environmentally-friendly cocopeat.
Climate Prize Winners
Camila OrtizRenata Sanchez, Pia Sobarzo, Victoria Vilches, Catalina Prado | Team Alset Girls | Chile
For their app Wowwhich helps fight climate change. Wow encourages families to reduce their energy consumption by allowing them to compete with other families, and by providing tips and important information about energy.
Mental Health Prize Winners
For their outstanding work to create technology that addresses mental health:
Luna Yin and Lucy Yin | team Illuminate | Canada
For their app Lightwhich makes mental health resources more accessible to students on topics ranging from depression and anxiety to sexual health and gender identity.
“It’s clear that the world is in crisis, but these winning teams—and, indeed, every single young person who participates in our program each year—offer a glimmer of hope for us all,” says Tara Chklovski, CEO and founder. of Technovation. “Here is an incredibly resilient, global community—the world’s largest group of diverse, inspiring young female innovators creating innovative solutions to tackle the biggest challenges facing their communities and the world today .”
Launched in 2006, the backbone of Technovation’s success is a curriculum that starts with a community problem and teaches girls to solve it using the skills of the future: computational thinking, machine learning, block coding, understanding and using data, AI ethics, and prototyping in addition to other key technology concepts. Technovation has been refining this curriculum for 16 years, reaching 370,000 participants in 120-plus countries.
After completing the program, 76% of Technovation alumnae pursue STEM degrees, while 60% work in STEM careers. Many alumnae credit Technovation for their career choice and increasing their self-efficacy in choosing careers in computer science, data science, or engineering, working at major companies such as Shopify, Google, Apple, Intel, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Amazon and Meta.
The program is supported by other organizations, such as HSBC, Shopify, Service Today, TE Connectivity Foundation, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation and Vianai because of its high-quality curriculum, presence in many countries, and high demand for tech-based learning. Read more about its global and local impact in 2021 HERE.
For more information, visit: https://technovationchallenge.org/.
About Technovation
Technovation is a global tech education nonprofit that empowers women to become more confident leaders, creators, and problem solvers. Technovation offers engaging and student-centered learning programs where girls ages 8-18 learn how to use AI and app-based technologies to solve real-world problems world. Technovation partners with global organizations such as UNICEF, UNESCO and UN Women, and with advisors from companies such as Salesforce, Adobe, Shopify, IBM, Google, Oracle, Globant, Ericsson, Intel, HSBC and Microsoft to reach girls and families in more than 100 countries. To learn more, visit technovation.org.
You can also connect with Technovation on Instagram (www.instagram.com/technovationglobal), Facebook (www.facebook.com/technovationglobal), Twitter (www.twitter.com/technovation), Tik Tok (https://www.tiktok.com/@technovation) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/c/TechnovationGlobal).
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SOURCE Technovation
