Secondary school girls from the ACT and NSW recently explored ICT’s applications, including robot programming, app development, coding and encryption deciphering, at the Australian National University’s Girls in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Day.
Hosted by the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science, the girls spoke with ANU students, learned from women working in the industry and enjoyed hand-on activities.
For Year 9 Canberra Girls Grammar School student Sophie-Rose Eccles, the highlights of the day included creating art with code.
“Programming to create art was really fun. I’ve done some scratch programming before, but not to create images – there were so many possibilities!,” Miss Eccles said.
Alongside workshops and demonstrations, the day also educated and inspired the students and celebrated the achievements of women in the industry.
Bachelor of Software Engineering student Paige Brown attended Girls in ICT Day in 2015 as a Year 12 student, and two years later, she is now helping to coordinate the event, while empowering the next generation of ICT professionals.
“I believe engaging secondary school girls through introductory activities like Girls in ICT Day opens the door for many girls who have an interest and aptitude for ICT, but are unsure what it would be like to study at university level or what opportunities may be available to them in the industry,” Ms Brown said.
“I enjoyed supporting the girls to follow their desired career path and push back on any preconceived stereotype boundaries, and as always, it was fantastic to see so much interest from the girls and how inspired they were by the female industry speakers.”
Combining her software engineering degree with an Arts degree majoring in Criminology, Ms Brown is now forging ahead for her dream career in cybercrime.
Dean of the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science Elanor Huntington FIEAust, is enthusiastic about the scope of ICT and the contribution of young women to the booming ICT industry.
“This is a really exciting time to be an engineer in Australia because engineering skills – and particularly ICT ones – are going to be central to how successfully we navigate the transition away from the mining boom,” Professor Huntington said.
“We need a larger and more diverse cohort of engineers to lead that transition, and we need to show young Australian women all the exciting and profound ways they can make a difference with these skills.
Engineers Australia, Canberra Division Manager Keely Quinn said that these kinds of activities are important because they show aspiring girls the profession’s breadth and encourages them to study STEM subjects and pursue a career in engineering.
“With only 6.2% of female secondary students studying Advanced Maths, these kinds of activities show the importance of STEM subjects for potential career choices, and the discussion we need to have with youth is about exciting pathways, not about how ‘hard’ certain subjects are,” Ms Quinn said.
“These activities help move the focus away from ‘hardhat’ wearing disciplines to show that engineering is a truly varied, creative and innovative profession.”
International Girls in ICT Day will be held on 27 April 2017.
In July, the College will be hosting its annual Girls in Engineering and Technology Program (GET Set) for Year 11 and 12 students who wish to explore an education and career in engineering or technology.
Image: Secondary school girls enjoying ICT Day activities. Courtesy of the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science.