Every February the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering (ONWiE) presents a daylong event, Go Code Girl, which highlights technology, computing and software engineering exclusively for girls in grades 7-12. It is facilitated independently by each of its member schools and faculties of engineering. Sixteen universities will participate in 2021 from across Canada.
This year that program moves online in a condensed version. It will take place Saturday February 20 from 9am-11am via Zoom. Register here.
“It’s for girls in grades 7-12,” said Scott Compeau, Manager, Connections Engineering Outreach, “to study coding and digital literacies programming, and it’s also a chance for us to share information about the disciplines in engineering here that use those skills.”
“Normally it’s a full day event,” he said. “In previous years we would run it from 9 o’clock until about 2:30 or 3pm and include lunch and visit a few locations on campus. Now, virtually, we can move all that information into a two-hour event.”
“Representatives from WISE, the Women in Science and Engineering, will join us,” said Lindsay Jones, an outreach coordinator with the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science who will facilitate the day’s program. “They’ll be there to answer any questions they might have about engineering or applying to an engineering field.”
This year each of the 30 participants will receive in advance at micro:bit to work with. “A micro:bit is a pocket-sized computer that introduces you to how software and hardware work together,” said Jones. “It has 25 LED lights on it, a light sensor, a temperature sensor, and several other sensors that allow for creative designs with the code.”
It’s technology they can keep and expand their learning independently after the event. “It’s really good that they’ll be getting that actual piece of technology because it creates a more hands-on relationship to engineering, instead of just participating in an online component.”