OVER 180 teenage girls from across the country are a step closer to realising their dreams of pursuing careers in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) after participating in a day of technology-focused workshops organised by STEAMHouse.

The event, dubbed CreatHer, was hosted at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Library and included talks on careers in ICT, delivered by exemplary women within the field, and demonstrations of technological innovations.

CEO and founder of STEAMHouse Godiva Golding said she was heartened by the enthusiasm of the attendees as they were fully engaged in the day’s sessions.

“Events like these are important because they open the minds of our young women to the career opportunities within the field of ICT. By seeing themselves as not just consumers but future creators of technology, we hope they will be inspired to pursue studies in and ultimately contribute to the field,” Golding said.

The sessions involved demonstrations including how to create several practical digital resources such as a calculator, a YouTube recommender system, and a non-fungible token. The day culminated with a coding challenge which was won by Immaculate Conception High School. St Hilda’s and York Castle High Schools tied for second place while Ardenne High school placed third.

Communications and entertainment company Flow supported the event by providing tablets and data plans for the challenge winners. Speaking after the awards ceremony, community programmes coordinator at the Flow Foundation Courtney Bell said the company’s involvement in the event aligns with its thrust to empower all individuals through technology. He highlighted that with ICT currently being a male-dominated field, the company has been making a special effort to encourage girls and young women to pursue technology-focused careers.

“In addition to supporting the CreatHer workshop, we have our Future Tech Stars Programme which is being executed by our parent company, Liberty Latin America, throughout the region. The programme includes training in digital and cryptocurrency, web development and coding in python,” Bell shared. Currently, 74 Jamaican girls aged 13-16 years are among the 800 participants enrolled in that 20-week programme which ends in August.

Flow’s support of the CreatHer workshop and its Future Tech Stars initiative are part of the company’s overall efforts to increase equality, diversity and inclusion in the field of ICT. The company also annually hosts and/or supports hackathons and other activities aimed at inspiring girls to pursue ICT careers. Through the Flow Foundation, the company has also provided free online training and certification in support of digital education and entrepreneurship.