By Mary Paz Fuentes | Program Assistant
Through collaborative innovation, Ideas en Acción has focused on creating programs aimed at closing the gender gap in STEAM fields. Here’s what we’ve achieved throughout 2024:
MenTe en Acción Program: From February to April, we ran the 23rd edition of our MenTe en Acción program, where 54 young women between the ages of 15 and 19 graduated from various regions of the country.
From May to July, we held the 24th edition, where 55 participants graduated after developing solutions to address problems related to different SDGs over nine weeks. Through technology, these women were empowered and learned the basics of programming, gaining the opportunity to enter the STEAM world and explore what it could mean for their future careers. In this edition, we totaled over 1,250 volunteer hours, including technical mentoring for app programming, Design Thinking for prototype ideation, and photography to capture the experience. Additionally, we were sponsored by Accenture, Procter & Gamble, IBM, and Smiths Group Foundation. Through partnerships with Efecto Boomerang, Universidad CENFOTEC, Lincoln School, and Universidad LCI Veritas, we received further support.
We are currently beginning the 25th edition of the program, which will end in October 2024, and we hope to share more achievements of this new generation of MenTes soon.
Women in Action - Employable Training Program: In July 2024, we began the 3rd edition of the Women in Action program, providing scholarships for 50 women between the ages of 18 and 30 to obtain certifications in Software Development Engineering or Cybersecurity, offered by our sponsor IBM. Additionally, participants are receiving conversational English classes to boost their confidence, employability skills training, and workshops on personal empowerment, leadership, and gender equality; all, while being supported throughout the 16 weeks to track their progress.
This edition is being sponsored by Accenture, Procter & Gamble, IBM, and Smiths Group Foundation.
Red MenTe: We strive to provide monthly activities tailored to the various interests and needs of the young women in our Red MenTe network, most of whom are beginning their professional and academic journeys.
In our virtual activities, volunteers have brough in topics such as Digital Rights and Obligations for the Youth, Girls Coding for Change, Introduction to Agile Methodologies, and Introduction to Git.
We’ve also held in-person workshops on topics like "Professional Branding: Building My Own Success" by journalist Mariana Sáenz, and "Best Practices for Interviews and Resumes" with Equifax. Additionally, our MenTes were invited to screenings of the Costa Rican film "Memorias de un cuerpo que arde" by Substance Films, aimed at fostering intergenerational dialogue among women. Two scholarships were also awarded for the exclusive "Entrepreneurship Program for Innovators and Changemakers," thanks to Lincoln School.
Niñas Hacia el Espacio Program: A program aimed at girls between 7 and 9 years old who want to explore STEAM fields through playful activities and creativity. In 2024, we brought the program to Guanacaste, Heredia, Cartago, and Limón, and we will soon hold a special edition (our 8th) to raise funds for future editions, which we hope to continue expanding across the country.
In Limón, we collaborated with the American Corner Limón for the 7th edition, sponsored by Kyndryl and Smiths Group Foundation. Thanks to these joint efforts, 27 girls discovered the infinite possibilities offered by Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Additionally, we engaged parents and caregivers from their support networks who shared the comman goal of contribuiting to their growth and future.
After our 8th edition, we hope to complete our goal of bringing the program to all the seven provinces of Costa Rica. Therefore, we plan to bring the last edition of this year to Puntarenas, in December 2024.
To end this year, we hope to have succesfully concluded 3 MenTe en Acción Editions, 1 Women in Action Edition, 6 Niñas Hacia el Espacio Editions, and to continue bringing more development opportunities for our programs graduates.
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