Train young Colombian women for a career in STEM

Our project has been refined since it was conceived as a training proposal for young people. With the help of advisory bodies in innovation methodologies, design thinking, digital business development and other elements that we have considered will enrich our commitment, we have constituted the first "Code School" curriculum, which, in the coming days will receive applications by the young people of the city who want to enroll in the intensive training that we will guide.

Although the training considers the development of web interfaces, it also incorporates work in the development of content and videogame mechanics applied to virtual reality, as well as soft skills such as negotiation, communication and leadership that allow a more integral approach and that trained young people can employ themselves or develop their own businesses.

The model has already been validated and resources have been sought from allies of the private sector who have provided scholarships for the students so that it does not represent any cost for them to attend the classes. We have also planned to support food, with snacks during the sessions. Likewise and even more relevant have been the conversations with entities of the city to consider the possibility of employing those young people who complete the course, achieving that several of them made this a commitment.

It is estimated that the training begins the second week of March 2019. This will take place at the Metropolitan Institute of Technology, an educational entity that has all the necessary equipment in its classrooms.

In 2018, MAKAIA developed a similar process aimed exclusively at girls between the ages of 14 and 18, in two groups: the first one was part of a city school located in one of the low-income areas and the second in a detention center for minors. The results were quite rewarding, making the girls of both groups develop skills and get excited to consider a professional future in technology areas. This led to the conclusion that, with important allies, a second phase of the pilot project that was developed with another group of girls from the Penitentiary Center. In the end we have almost 60 girls who finished their training.

*Being minors, they are protected under the Colombian legislation that indicates that the photographs can not show their faces.