IN the lead-up to Girls in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Day on April 23, GraceKennedy’s (GK) Digital Factory hosted 23 students from schools across the Corporate Area for an interactive, hands-on experience in building digital solutions from concept to launch.

The students are participants in cohort two of the Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation’s (Grace & Staff) Code Queens Programme. Launched in 2024, the initiative empowers teenage girls from marginalised communities in Kingston and St Catherine by equipping them with coding skills and encouraging them to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The programme combines technical training using micro:bit devices and the MakeCode platform with emotional and personal development, helping to bridge the gender digital divide.

During their Digital Factory session, the students were asked to identify a common challenge they face in their daily lives. One issue quickly emerged: access to food during the school day.

Faced with long cafeteria lines, limited time, and at times missed meals, the grades seven to nine students used this real-world challenge as the basis for developing a practical, tech-driven solution. With guidance from the GK Digital Factory team, they worked through each stage of the development process — research, coding, user experience and design, testing, and marketing — to create a timely meal-ordering system.

By supporting initiatives like Code Queens, the GK Digital Factory is also advancing Jamaica’s participation in the global iamtheCODE movement, which aims to develop one million coders by 2030, with a focus on young girls and women in underserved communities.

Addressing the participants, Anika Crawford, product owner, FinTech Products at GraceKennedy Financial Group (GKFG), encouraged the students to see possibilities in everyday challenges.

“Maybe this is just one issue you’re currently facing, or there could be more, but what we’re saying is there is a solution for nearly any problem and you can create it,” she said.

Crawford also highlighted the importance of building digital skills early. “Our goal is to facilitate learning at an earlier age for girls, enabling them to enter the dynamic field of information technology and secure skills that will transform both their lives and their livelihoods.”

Also speaking at the session, Sheraine Campbell Brown, head of digital marketing & customer experience at GKFG, underscored the evolving nature of careers in technology. “When I started this journey in tech, my current job did not exist — but that’s where you can change that for yourselves. Stay curious and challenge existing boundaries. The future of technology needs to be shaped by diverse perspectives, and that requires the voice of Caribbean women.”

Through targeted initiatives like Code Queens, GraceKennedy is investing in the next generation of female tech leaders by equipping them with the skills needed to drive innovation, reduce bias in digital systems, and build solutions that serve a wider society.

Code Queens, sponsored by CUSO International, aligns with Grace & Staff’s mandate to invest in Jamaica’s youth through education.

“The future of STEM is ready for our girls and women, and we’re here to support them with the tools, mentorship, and guidance they need to grow,” said Dhira-Mae Brown-Douglas, STEM administrator at Grace & Staff.

Girls in ICT Day was observed under the theme, “AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future.”

Anika Crawford (left), product owner, FinTech Products at the GraceKennedy Financial Group, demonstrates to Kacian Bell how to install and test the lunch-ordering app that the students created during a coding demonstration held at the GK Digital Factory.