On Sunday the 1st of March we held Girls Into Coding #6 at the Microsoft Reactor. This was an exciting time as the previous event was so successful, so I could not wait to experience it all over again.
What made this event stand out, even more, was that we were able to welcome more girls. This was all part of our mission to upscale Girls Into Coding. We want to give more girls an opportunity to explore tech, coding, and STEM in a supportive environment, where they can network with other girls like them who have an interest in tech.
Just like the last time, Llewelyn, Mikel, Graham and myself ran separate workshops, but for GIC#6, we were also delighted to invite Rehana to run a wearables workshop, which enabled attendees to enjoy the buzz of exploring their creative skills.
Llewelyn is a computer scientist, a maker and is the founder of Think Create Learn whose objective is to deliver tech courses to students.
Mikel is an inspiring programmer & maker.
Graham is a Digital Media Consultant. He focuses on 3D design, 3D scanning, 3D printing and is an advisor for Educational Institutions.
Rehana is a creative technologist, and splits her time between teaching, building robots and making dresses, and me (Avye)!
As for the speakers, each a female role model making waves and doing cool things in Tech and STEM, gave an inspiring talk. Also on the line-up, were two girls, Rumaysa and Chloe who had been attending Girls into Coding from the very beginning. They each delivered really moving talks about how coding can help girls and shared their journey into coding. I felt very proud of them, for finding the confidence to speak in front of everyone and I know that the Girls watching and listening felt inspired by them.
Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon, MBE – “STEM Mode: On!”
Anne-Marie is the CEO and head of Stemettes, an award-winning social enterprise inspiring just under 40,000 young people & young women looking to find a role in the world of STEM.
She delivers keynotes at leading companies and organisations all over the world and is the host of the Evening Standard’s podcast, Women Tech Charge.
Anne-Marie is listed as one of the BBC’s 100 inspirational and innovative women, Forbes Top 50 Global Women in Tech and an ELLE Magazine ‘Disruptor’.
Leslie Sarango- “My journey in Tech”
Leslie is a 17-year old student.
She has created a virtual reality game called Eduscape that can be downloaded as an app and helps teens develop their interest in mathematics.
She is the winner of the One to Watch Award at the 2019 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards.
Gisela Rossi – “Call to Adventure”
Gisela is a Computer Scientist and a Software Engineer. She is Board member at WYPB (WISE Young Professionals’ Board).
Co-leader at PyLadies London and a Speaker.
Gisela is passionate about people’s growth, leadership, and how we can make our technology organisations more ethical and impactful.
She strives to help girls and women join and excel in STEM fields through her volunteer work.
Yewande Akinola, MBE – “Girl Power, Coding and Engineering”
Yewande is an award-winning Engineer and Innovator. She is passionate about Engineering & International Development.
Her engineering experience and responsibilities include the design of sustainable systems, engineering design management of large projects, and manufacturing for construction in the built environment. She has worked on projects in the U.K., Africa, the Middle East and in East Asia.
She is a multi-award winner, a TV presenter, a Trustee at the IET and a visiting Professor at Westminster University.
Rumaysa & Chloe attended previous Girls Into Coding events.
Rumaysa talked to us about how coding can help Girls.
Chloe delivered a talk about her journey into coding.
Llewelyn & Mikel – Build a hand-held camera
The participants put together a Raspberry Pi, mini-screen and a few buttons. They added a camera module and programmed their camera to take pictures and review images. They also added enhanced features, like time-lapse!
Graham – Introduction to 3D Design, 3D Scanning & 3D Printing
This was a hands-on workshop using 3D design software, to gain the basic skills needed for 3D modeling and printing.
Rehana – Make your own light-up accessory!
The girls created their own sparkly accessory with LEDs and conductive thread, and learnt all about the science of electricity, the basics of sewable circuits and conductivity.
Me (Avye) – Build & code a robot
For my workshop, I tried out for the first time, a new compact robot chassis that I’d been working on. I had fun experimenting with the sensors and code during the run-up to the event. The whole preparation process was really fun. There was a lot to do but all the time and effort certainly paid off and both the girls and their parents got a lot out of the day.
At the end of the afternoon, we were able to present the attendees with a microcontroller, physical computing kit, and an inspirational book to take home. Without forgetting some awesome stickers and pins!
Overall, I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the event and I think that this might be one of the best Girls Into Coding events so far. I definitely can’t wait for the next one. I would also like to say a big thank you to all of the people who came and helped out at my event. I really appreciate it. A special thank you to the Microsoft team for their continuous support! And a final thank you to the attendees and parents for their wonderful and encouraging feedback.
Hi, my name is Avye and I love making, coding, designing, exploring new technology and swimming! This site is about the things I get to experience, discover and enjoy. Welcome to my world!