Girls in tech

There have been major campaigns and advancements in recent years in the bid to have more girls interested in science and technology. At Exquitec Education Technology, we make STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education appealing to school girls by equipping them with the information, resources, training and mentorship they require to pursue a future in STEM through our GIST ( Girls in Science and Technology) Program.
In high schools, girls are frequently told that Math and Science are “masculine” disciplines and that the fields appear to be too challenging for girls. In addition, boys are the only ones mentioned as STEM role models in schools. Everyone is familiar with Newton and Einstein, but how many people are aware of Grace Hopper, a pioneer of contemporary computing, or Lisa Meitner, the discoverer of protactinium?
As a result of this gender stereotype in STEM, women make up less than ¼ of scientists, technologists and engineers globally. Even worse, it implies that thousands of women are missing out on these job prospects, prestige and fulfillment that comes with STEM-related careers. One of the missions of Exquitec is to promote STEM literacy particularly among the girl child. As a result-driven education EdTech firm, our objective on GIST is to bridge the gender gap in STEM. We create content featuring successful women in STEM. Additionally, we conduct workshops and trainings to inspire and equip these girls to pursue STEM and to challenge stereotypes about girls in STEM. We also pair girls with mentors who can inspire and help sustain their interest in STEM.
If we want to attract the best and brightest minds into the STEM fields, to move forward as a nation, then it becomes imperative that we provide ways to empower our girls to take advantage of these economic opportunities. This is what the GIST program at Exquitec aims at: providing economic empowerment and employment readiness through trainings for girls in STEM.

Let me take you through our Girls in ICT practicum, a specialised program organised for school girls to equip them with the information, resources, training and mentorship they require to pursue a future in STEM-related disciplines. Mr Aremu Joseph and Miss Lasisi Opeyemi both professional digital experts were available to train the girls.
Let’s start from the part the girls – eleven in number – were introduced to the art of storytelling/writing using block code (Scratch). The curiosity and excitement on their cute faces were obvious; the girls enjoyed every bit of the block code session.
The teens also had a valuable time in the Graphics Design class. They were taught principle of design using the Corel Draw.Some of the girls came up with lovely business/birthday card designs. Their persistence paid off eventually. The girls were finally able to design and brand their personalised complimentary cards as their class project. The key message is very important: Design and branding are closely linked, leading to marketing success and business profits. The stage is set already for the girls to show their guts and dexterity in design and of course, in the business world. More than the creativity, designing complimentary cards can make the idea of having a job or starting their own business fun. Cheers to the future female CEOs cum great designers.
Furthermore, the girls were introduced to animation creation using plotagon application. At the end of the class, the girls used the knowledge learned to create a story based on the girl child. The design thinking of the girls are honed and developed; so also their creative confidence.
Before the close of the program, the girls were privileged to have a mentorship session with the director of the foremost Exquitec Education Technology, Dr. Oluwakemi Olurinola. In her speech, the erudite scholar exposed them to various career opportunities in science and technology and women blazing career paths in those fields. She encouraged them to live their dreams and not be limited by gender stereotype. “Not minding the present statistics that seemingly do not favour the girl child, no one should be able to beat you girls to the technological future of your dream. You have what it takes. So go out there to show your guts and exceptional skills to make the difference and impact.”