|
The Technovation Challenge is an Android App design contest for middle and high school girls. In twelve weeks, students identify a problem in their community and design an app to help solve the problem. The girls conduct market research, develop a business plan, design marketing media and learn to code. ASFG is proud to support this opportunity to encourage girls to engage in computer science and entrepreneurship. Learn more about Pitch Night and Hack Day hosted by ASFG by investigating the subpages. See more inspiring videos and students talking about the challenge on Technovation's playlist. More information can also be found on the Technovation México Facebook page. |
Why is the Technovation Challenge just for girls?
Ada Lovelace wrote the first computer algorithm in the 1800s, before computers even existed. During World War II, many women worked as computers to complete a variety of complex calculations and decipher their opponents' codes. As recently as 1983-84, the number of women in computer science at US universities was 37%, but now women make up just 18% of undergraduates in computer science majors.
Experts are predicting that one million computing jobs will go unfilled by 2020, and we need to increase the number of graduates to fill that gap. "This is a Rosie the Riveter moment," says Jocelyn Goldfein in the documentary she++. We need to encourage all students to explore computer science, but to have the greatest impact, we need to close the gender gap. Supporting the Technovation Challenge is one way ASFG is helping to do so. Learn more about women pioneers of computer science from the Ada Project. |
she++: The Documentary from Ellora Israni on Vimeo. |
Fessenden, Marissa. "What Happened to All the Women in Computer Science?" Smithsonian. N.p., 22 Oct. 2014. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.