Impact Stories from Youth Engagement Policy Area
Fellows launch initiative developed during 2017 TechWomen program
Fellow(s): Lara Chikhani, Maya Itani and Rasha Sukkarieh
Country: Lebanon
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
After developing their action plan concept during the 2017 program, three fellows of Lebanon, Lara Chikhani, Maya Itani and Rasha Sukkarieh, have launched Solve24, a project-based summer program that will train students aged 13-17 to solve real-life problems through STEM. Though the team was not awarded a seed grant during their time in the U.S., Lara, Maya and Rasha were passionate about their idea and continued their mentorship virtually upon returning home, supported by Impact Coaches Katy Dickinson, Fatema Kothari and Mercedes Soria, who serve on Solve24’s advisory board. Said Lara, “Thank you to Techwomen for pushing us to start this and connecting us with the amazing mentors.”
Solve24 will offer activities to improve participants’ skills in design thinking, leadership, communication, innovation and teamwork as they design a project focused on solving an issue in their community. At the end of the program, students will pitch their projects to design professionals, mentors and family members. The top projects will be awarded a prize.
Lara, Maya and Rasha hope that Solve24 will help Lebanese youth cultivate critical thinking skills and creativity in order to create positive impact and be competitive in the global job market. The first boot camp program will begin this summer.
Report Date...: 6/25/2018
Fellow selected as U.S. embassy alumna of the month
Fellow(s): Faten Khalfallah
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Faten Khalfallah, 2015 fellow of Tunisia, was selected as alumna of the month by the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia. During the TechWomen program, Faten was mentored at Autodesk, where she received training on many of the company’s software applications, as well as support from her mentors to launch her own initiative in Tunisia. The embassy highlighted Faten’s efforts as founder of First Skills Club, a non-profit organization that provides STEM programming for youth aged 10 to 16. The program is currently training 150 students in computer programming, robotics and entrepreneurship.
Last year, several students in the First Skills Club participated in the Robotics Olympics in Washington, D.C. and won gold and silver medals in the International Excellence category. Students from the club also attended the 2018 Robotics World Championship in Kentucky, where they won the Judge’s Award and were among the top ten teams of girls aged 12 to 14. Faten is now preparing a team that will soon travel to Mexico to participate in the 2018 Robotic Olympic Games. She hopes that one day Tunisia will become a global technology hub.
Read More »Report Date...: 6/11/2018
Fellow highlights STEM mentorship program in podcast episode
Fellow(s): Chao Mbogo
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2017 fellow of Kenya Dr. Chao Mbogo was interviewed in an episode of Pursuit Podcast about her organization, KamiLimu, which engages computer science students at Kenyan universities in a six-month mentorship program. Chao explains that she launched KamiLimu to address the gap between what students are learning in the classroom and the skills they need to be competitive in the global STEM job market. Since 2016, KamiLimu has supported 96 students, several of whom have won international awards and scholarships after participating in the mentorship program.
Chao discussed the four major pillars that participants learn in the program: innovation and ICT skills, professional development, community involvement and scholarship application and awareness. This model ensures that while students are learning ICT skills to supplement what might be lacking in their curricula, they also receive training to most effectively apply to jobs and scholarships and become active members of the Kenya tech community. Chao said, “Mentorship for me is not inviting someone to talk and then they go away… Mentorship is more long term, and it has to happen every day, every week, every month.”
Report Date...: 6/11/2018
Team Pakistan makes progress on action plan project
Fellow(s): Zainab Saleem, Bisma Hayat, Saima Shabbir, Shamsa Naz, Sadia Bashir and Saba Rasheed Malik
Country: Pakistan
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Team Pakistan, one of five teams to win a $3,000 seed grant during the 2017 program for their action plan project, has taken exciting strides to reach their goal. The team members – Zainab Saleem, Bisma Hayat, Saima Shabbir, Shamsa Naz, Sadia Bashir and Saba Rasheed Malik – launched STEM for Change, an organization dedicated to increasing women’s representation in STEM fields.
Only 18% of women in Pakistan are currently engaged or employed in STEM fields. Team Pakistan attributes this gender disparity to a lack of exposure to STEM subjects, particularly among young girls in public school. The team aims to reduce this disparity by leading STEM workshops for girls in middle school and creating a mentorship program and support network for women working in STEM.
So far, the group has finalized details for their networking and launch event, which will showcase plans for the introductory STEM for Change workshop. They have invited potential investors, including NGOs, government organizations, school representatives and parents to the event. Team Pakistan is also currently in the process of designing the STEM for Change curriculum and selecting target schools for future workshops. Their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr pages will launch in June.
Report Date...: 5/28/2018
Fellow’s organization signs franchise agreement
Fellow(s): Rana El Chemaitelly
Country: Lebanon
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Rana El Chemaitelly, 2017 fellow of Lebanon, signed a franchise agreement in Lagos, Nigeria for her organization, The Little Engineer, which offers hands-on engineering courses for children and young adults. The agreement is with Jadesola Adedji, who has an organization called STEM METS that provides STEM programming to Nigerian students. Through this partnership, the Nigeria branch of the Little Engineer will begin operations this summer by offering courses, school visits and summer camps.
Rana conceived of her organization in 2009 based on the belief that exposing children to STEM will better prepare them for future challenges and empower them with new ways of thinking. In order to be more widely accessible, the Little Engineer works with summer camps and schools to provide programs in and around Beirut.
Report Date...: 5/21/2018
Fellow launches STEM education campaign
Fellow(s): Lindiwe Matlali
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
Africa Teen Geeks, an organization led by 2017 fellow of South Africa Lindiwe Matlali, launched the Girl Geek campaign last week in partnership with the Ikusasa LeAfrika Foundation (ILAF). The Girl Geek campaign seeks to inspire the next generation of tech innovators by engaging children in a STEM education program that exposes them to robotics, websites, video games and more. Lindiwe hopes to replicate this initiative all over Africa to reach as many students as possible.
Dr. Zweli Mkhize, South Africa’s Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, was selected as the campaign’s patron. During his opening remarks, he said, “I am pleased that this initiative encourages and prepares, especially our young women, to be capable and ready to engage with this exciting new world we find ourselves in.” U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Jessye Lapenn also attended the event and offered remarks expressing support for the initiative.
Report Date...: 5/21/2018
Team Jordan makes progress on action plan project
Fellow(s): Hiba Shabrouq, Ala’a Agha Karss, Aseel Almusa, Nour Altobasi and Dhelal Shorman
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Team Jordan, one of five teams to win a $3,000 seed grant during the 2017 program for their action plan project, has taken exciting steps to reach their goal. The team members – Hiba Shabrouq, Ala’a Agha Karss, Aseel Almusa, Nour Altobasi and Dhelal Shorman – are the creators of Ozwah, an initiative that will provide training, workshops and resources to female orphans in Jordan in order to help them attend university. Lack of funding and resources represent major obstacles to pursuing higher education, and this project aims to make studying in university more accessible to female orphans.
Team Jordan has completed their program design phase, including determination of selection criteria for mentors and trainers. The group has also met with potential sponsor companies such as Orange, Zain and the Alchemist Lab and is exploring partnerships with organizations that have experience working with children, particularly orphans, including the Princess Taghrid Institute. The Ozwah team is preparing to publicly launch social media accounts for Ozwah, as well as www.ozwah.com, in the near future.
Report Date...: 5/7/2018
School inspired by TechWomen delegation visit
Fellow(s): Busayo Durojaiye
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Youth Engagement
During the recent delegation trip to Nigeria, mentors, fellows and program staff visited Holy Kids School in Ijegun to introduce junior high and high school students to diverse opportunities for careers in STEM and share perspectives as women in STEM from Silicon Valley. Following opening remarks from 2014 fellow Busayo Durojaiye, mentors gave TED-style talks about STEM careers, innovation and sustainability.
Funmi Thomas, the school administrator, recently reached out to the TechWomen team at IIE to share an update. According to Funmi, the TechWomen delegation “collectively had such a profound impact on [the school] and created a domino effect,” making the students feel valued and inspiring the teachers to take action. As a result of the TechWomen visit, two of the schools’ teachers have started mentorship sessions for students, and four mathematics teachers have started holding math clinics during evenings and weekends. Funmi was also inspired by the visit and has begun volunteering as a mentor for young adults in her area.
Read More »Report Date...: 4/30/2018
Team South Africa makes progress on action plan project
Fellow(s): Chiedza Mnguni, Ridhwana Khan,Fanelwa Ajayi, Emily Pather and Danai Nhando,
Country: South Africa, Zimbabwe
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Team South Africa, one of five teams to win a $3,000 seed grant during the 2017 program for their action plan project, has made considerable progress in the implementation of their initiative, Kasi Maths. Kasi Maths aims to provide math tutoring services to students in underprivileged communities. The team members include fellows Chiedza Mnguni, Ridhwana Khan, Fanelwa Ajayi and Emily Pather, as well as Danai Nhando, a fellow of Zimbabwe currently residing in South Africa.
As part of the initial phase of the project, the team has partnered with the U.S. Embassy in Johannesburg to use the American Space Innovation Studio in Soweto township, including computers, technology kits, books and a 3D printer, for program activities. Through a partnership with the University of Johannesburg’s Community Engagement Department, five university students will serve as volunteers during each Kasi Maths session. The team has identified 20 students from Tlhatlogang Secondary School in Soweto township to participate in the program’s first cohort, and they are currently working closely with the school to design a curriculum that supplements what is taught in class. The first cohort of students will begin the program in June.
Read More »Report Date...: 4/30/2018
eSTEM Morocco holds mentoring event for women and girls
Fellow(s): Nezha Larhrissi, Salima Kaissi, Samia Elhanchy, Sofia Ghacham and Salma El Aimani
Country: Morocco
Cohort: 2013, 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
eSTEM Morocco, an organization founded by 2013 fellows of Morocco Nezha Larhrissi and Salima Kaissi, recently organized a mentoring event in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Morocco. The event welcomed women and girls from all across Morocco, including alumnae of different U.S. exchange programs, such as TechWomen, TechGirls, Space Camp and SUSI. Also supporting activities at the event were 2017 fellows Samia Elhanchy and Sofia Ghacham and 2013 fellow Salma El Aimani.
eSTEM Morocco is a non-profit organization that strives to empower girls with the tools and resources to enter STEM fields and spread awareness about the role of technology in sustainability. eSTEM accomplishes this goal through facilitating trainings, workshops and camps for girls interested in STEM, organizing an international conference and engaging youth in the Technovation challenge.
Report Date...: 4/23/2018
