Members of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) established a special holiday to inspire girls to consider a career in the technological field.
In 2010, the ITU created Girls in ICT Day, which is celebrated on April 25. Karen Glocer tells her story to DipNote. She has a Ph.D. in Computer Science and has taught 27 girls between the ages of 13 and 17 the basics of programming in python. She describes the program as intuitive, but powerful programming language that is widely used by software companies, research scientists, engineers and universities.
“The way the workshop warmed the students up to programming reminded me of how I became a scientist,” Glocer said in the article.
She mentioned that she had no interest in science upon entering college. But in her first year at Dartmouth, she signed up for an introductory physics course. With the help of the Women in Science Program, Glocer got a job in a plasma physics laboratory. Soon she worked with ITU to plan workshops to give hands-on experience for young girls.
Glocer also mentioned her goal was to introduce girls to a world of programming, demystify coding and open their eyes to the possibilities offered by a career in ICT. She said the girls were very enthusiastic about the program and she could see their confidence grow the more they learned about coding.
Read the full article here. To learn more about Girls in ICT Day and about future workshops, go to girlinict.org.
