Ukraine is now part of the international initiative Technovation, a contest in IT entrepreneurship for girls. Schoolgirls aged 10 to 18 can now enroll in a 12-week online program to learn how to develop mobile apps and have a chance to win a trip to San Francisco and a prize of 10,000 dollars.
Participation in the contest Technovation Challenge is free and is open to schoolgirls, their parents, teachers, and all those who are interested in the IT business and want to try themselves in the role of a mentor or volunteer. Girls do not need to have programming experience to participate, and Technovation is free for any girl who wants to participate.
With the support of Google, the UN and a number of leading IT companies, more than 10 000 women from 78 countries have already taken part in the Technovation Challenge contest.
“The world needs talented IT professionals. The IT-sector is actively developing, but girls are mainly excluded from the processes and possibilities that technology offers. This program breaks the stereotypes that IT is only for boys. Technovation Challenge has inspired a new generation of young women to take up IT worldwide. Through this program, studying IT becomes a fun and creative process that opens up a world of possibilities,” said Sandra Cavallo, Regional Coordinator Technovation Ukraine.
Sandra was a mentor and organizer of Technovation Moldova-2014, when the Moldovan team of teenage girls won first prize in San Francisco and returned home to their native village Shtefaneshti with the prize of 10 000 USD. They created a phone app called apa pura that provides users with a map of local wells and their water quality.
More information on Technovation Ukraine’s fb page and the official site.
