Chicas en Tecnología

To reduce the gender tech-gap and position women in an expanding labor market in need of diversity, more women need to be interested in the tech-sector from an early age. Not only as users, but as creators, professionals and entrepreneurs. We propose a circuit of immersive technology Programs for young women to develop technological and entrepreneurial skills for social purposes through our online platform: 

Clubes and Programing a Better World, key programs were young women work in teams, identify problems in their communities and design and build apps to help solve them guided by tech-experts and educators who provide inspiration and motivation. Finally, participants join CommunityCET: space for reference, support and motivation to offer opportunities, strengthen projects, consolidate vocation and deepen knowledge. 

Through open Initiatives Talks, Workshops and Events, webinars, Research, and Campaigns we promote a systemic change to accompany girls' involvement in the sector.

Women are underrepresented in Science and technology. Within the female population in higher education globally, only around 30% choose STEM-related fields. In LatinAmerica it is even worth since the entrepreneur-tech sector faces barriers to develop and grow and training environments do not focus on entrepreneurial skills. This puts LatinAmerican women two steps behind. In Argentina, there are only 16% of women in programming careers. One of the factors that impacts the decision of young women to study technological careers is the participation in experiences related to Science and Technology, both at school and outside of it. In 2017 Chicas en Tecnología made a survey and report analyzing how adolescent girls choose they academic path and one the results revealed that for 75% of the respondents the option "I am good at doing this" influences their choice for a professional career. This phrase reflects the importance of inspiring adolescents to take an interest in these careers and to offer them training spaces with scientific-technological content to "prove" their abilities in these areas. Unfortunately, training opportunities in LatinAmerica are struggling to deal with the growing prevalence of the technology and no actions are being taken to exploring technological forms of pedagogy.

“Wherever you are, with your technology, transform the world”, is one of the mottos of Chicas en Tecnología (CET) and its training programs delivered through the virtual Platform demonstrate that, with the technology that is available to anyone, opportunities can be enhanced. The solution that CET presents is a virtual platform through which it develops training Program for young women in argentina and Spanish speaking countries, to develop their tech-skills. Through different dynamics and with the use of their available technology, participants acquire theoretical and practical knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics - STEAM, with a focus on innovation and gender, to deepen the use and creation of technology with social impact and paying special attention to the ethical challenge of artificial intelligence.  

This includes: Promotion of knowledge about agile methodologies, prototyping and validation of data.  Student-centered education (based on the creation of user-centered products), work modes typically used in software development and technology-based enterprises. Use of technology with purpose. Transmission of the importance of technology, not only for commercial or leisure purposes, but as a tool that participants can use to change the lives of millions of people. Free and open-source software. 

Currently Chicas en Tecnología (CET) serves adolescent girls from 13 to 25 years old in Argentina and in 2020 CET is expanding its programs to Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico and Colomby. The targeted women are in a decisive moment to develop vocational interests and discover the possible academic and professional options that they have available. The focus is on diversity and the problem of the gender gap in the technological entrepreneurial sector that affects all social sectors. However, the NGO make special focus on young women from socio-economic contexts were quality training opportunities would not have been available otherwise. For that purpose, CET makes alliances with local public schools, universities, governments and with other organizations. 

As part of the Initiatives, CET accompanies all actions with a cross-section of research that generates unpublished databases, contents, reports, surveys and studies in order to create solutions tailored to the problem: understanding the need for the integration of STEAM with gender perspective in the education system.

The virtual platform is a space not only for young women to access quality training opportunities but also a source of information and a platform to exchange experiences with other young women, educators and get in touch with role-models and mentors: people from the tech-entrepreneur environment. Through CET programs participants prove that wherever they are, with their technology they can create solutions for social problems.This includes training opportunities for women who are in a key moment to prove their skills, acquire tools and become empowered to decide about their future academic and professional path free from gender stereotypes. 

CET virtual platform is a space for creation and innovation for young women. It is user friendly, it has a secure environment for adolescents: each program and section is developed for the targeted group according to their specific context and it is focused on the development of skills required for young women to master in preparation for success in a rapidly changing, digital society. 

An IADB Report (2019) explains that many initiatives that support the teaching-learning process through web platforms have been identified in LatinaAmerica, however, none of them offered training on 21st century skills. 

On the other hand, many other solutions are aimed at adult women who go through intensive trainings on programming in order to have a fast incorporation to a demanding labor market. However, these women remain in lower positions with lower salaries. There is a sizable gender gap regarding the amount of skills accumulated by gender (IADB - 2019).

Through its virtual platform, CET promotes young women to become interested in technology from an early age, as users, entrepreneurs and creators of solutions with social impact. The objective is to approach the problem in a comprehensive way, with tools of logical thinking, skills in problem solving, creativity, communication, design, teamwork and strategies to undertake with gender perspective. Using technology within their reach as a source of solving real problems, participants are challenged and appropriate the process of developing technological solutions in a practical way and close to the professional field.

The e-learning Platform, CamusCET is an innovative solution to motivate and train the next generation of girls as technology innovators in Argentina and Latin America. 

The solution is an ADAPTIVE Moodle PLATFORM with open source and based on PHP+MySQL which can be described in three main axes: 

1) The platform interface has been elaborated ad hoc. Generating a friendly, simple, intuitive platform. The design is mobile-first, thinking about the target audience. It uses inclusive language, the spaces set up for Clubs were based on axes and the communication is close and fresh.

Technology used: Boostrap 4, HTML5 and CSS.

 2) The platform was designed with 4 large modeling spaces:

- The clubs: designed as spaces for learning and accompaniment of blended modality. Reusable for other formats.

- Webinars: as short exchange and learning spaces with small activities, recourses and streaming audio or video instance embedded.

- Community: space to share with graduates of clubs, with job opportunities, events and other publications of interest

- HubCET: a new space open to everybody interested in technology, to share introductory training proposals based on CET co-created curriculum with references from the technological ecosystem. 

 3) it has 4 transversal spaces:

 - Mentors: a meeting place with references to talk in forums

- Solutions: a space for consultations with thematic forums

- APPS Bank: a list of applications created by young women participants.

-Job Portal: organizations and companies share job opportunities related to technology.

The Inter-American Development Bank made a Report (2019) with examples about Virtual Classrooms in Latin American and the Caribbean and explains how EDTech tools allow to offer students more autonomy, personification and a different way to interact with educators an access the contents, all this results in an opportunity to re-think how to teach and learn and give examples: See 

Furthermore, the e-learning platform of Chicas en Tecnología started being implemented in June 2019 for the first time with educator’s training to deliver Clubs Program. On the other hand, In 2020 during the Social, Preventive and Mandatory Isolation period the platform has become the most important means to deliver all the programs and also to launch new free and open opportunities with national and international reach:  More than 500 people between the ages of 13 to 40 have already joined the first month, including adolescent women who have already participated in Chicas en Tecnología's programs and others who did it for the first time, and educators, technology leaders, families and further people interested in the approach and issues related to the technological ecosystem with gender perspective.

See how it works.

CET seeks to influence adolescent girls, turning them into agents of social change and encouraging them to integrate into the technological ecosystem. With its programs, it seeks to influence the trajectory of a teenage girl so that she can not only become a leader and agent of social change in her community, but also she can have the possibilities to continue studying and developing in the technology sector. It seeks to change their role from user to creator of technology and thus generate a change in their vision regarding technology and the possibility of becoming change agents themselves and increasing the number of women studying technology careers and working in technology.

For this, CET promotes the recognition of female role models or technological leaders, strengthens knowledge and information about the IT world in this segment (young people) of the population, creates evidence based on data and generates and enhances impact metrics.  

Currently: 4500 young women

In one year: 6000 young women

In 5 years: 15000 young women

This year, in June 2020, apart from developing the programs in Argentina, CET is taking the programs to four new countries (Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Peru and Uruguay). For 2021, the aim is to continue working in Argentina with innovative programs to promote tech-skills in young women, to strengthen the programs in the new countries, and to reach two more countries. 

The section CETCommunity in the virtual platform will be enhanced and empowered with the participation of young women from different countries of LatinAmerica  who will be able to exchange and continue enriching their practices and projects from different and varied perspectives.

Furthermore, information will be systematized to develop and publish a report with the purpose of generating knowledge and impact in the current scenario of digital transformation in the areas of education, economy and culture with a focus on gender and diversity.

In five years, through the adaptive e-learning platform we expect to reach more countries in LATAM and offering diverse opportunities adapted to that year context. CET will make alliances with other organizations and promote a systemic change with the public and private sector along with the communities they operate in. The number of women who have gone through CET programs at that moment will be bigger and they will be ambassadors and the role models for other young women.

Risk 1: Political conjuncture (election period and changes of the referents with whom we were working and making alliances) Mitigating actions: Advocacy and foreseeing

Risk 2: Cultural differences in each country that need a specific approach. Mitigating actions: Working in alliance with organizations from each country.

Risk 3: Lack of inputs (lack of internet connectivity) and infrastructure (gas, electricity) that prevent the course of classes. Mitigating actions: Foreseeing public or private financial support 

Risk 4: Inflation rates and lack of funds. Mitigating actions: Diversification of the funding sources. Currently CET receives fund from private, public and international entities. We will continue expanding your resource pool in order to maintain stability no matter the country financial situation.

Risk 1: Mitigating actions: Advocacy and foreseeing: CET has already bridging alliances with non partisan interests. 

Risk 2: Mitigating actions: Foreseeing when planning the action and making alliances with local organizations.

Risk 3: Mitigating actions: Foreseeing public or private financial/technical support for each specific educational institution. This happens particularly in governmental schools, CET has already overcome this risk by contacting local governments.

Risk 4: Mitigating actions:  We will continue expanding CET resource pool in order to maintain stability no matter the country financial situation.

N/a

Full time staff: 5

Part time: 3

Contractors: 3

The experience of CET team by implementing the program added to their previous experience in diverse areas: specialists in education, entrepreneurship, research, communications, administration and logistics make a unique team capable of delivering the solution.

-Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (INTAL) IDB: in order to create a solution tailored to the needs of the targeted population, CET and IBD INTAL have published in 2019 a novel quantitative/qualitative survey "A Potential with Barriers" An investigation that seeks to analyze the formative and professional trajectory of women in the STEM disciplines in Argentina, and understand which are the obstacles and barriers they face in accessing the labor market and progress in their careers. 

-JP Morgan Chase Foundation: during 2019/2020 CET participated in Code For Good adn Force for Good program  were technology experts in teams solve real-world problems for nonprofits. CET submitted the challenges it was facing in the design and creation of the e-learning platform and the experts collaborated on new technology to come up with innovative solutions.

-Other technology companies that sponsor CET programs and share the same vision to achieve one same objective: reach equal opportunities in the technological entrepreneur ecosystem. 

CET is a non profit organization all funds raised are invested in the solution. 

To achieve its goals Chicas en Tecnología is supported by various sponsors. The bond is with those organizations and companies that share a common objective: to achieve gender parity in the technological entrepreneurial environment.  This includes private funds and funds from public entities . CET also participates in national and international calls and awards for project financing and this year launched its Individual Donors Campaign.

-Through sustained donations and grants. The strategy is to continue adding other untapped sources of funding and avoiding to have CET budget dependent on one source.

-By generating alliances with institutional donors (private charities and foundations) and making campaigns to reach individual private donors.

-Through Corporate Giving, i.e. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs which can include a variety of support types such as employee volunteer time, sponsorship, grants, or even socially responsible supply chains. And Governmental grants and contracts.

With this innovative solution CET plans to grow in scale and impact. To accompany this growth new networks need to be crated. The e-learning platform was applied during 2019 for the first time in diverse provinces in Argentina. This year a pilot project will be implemented in 5 more countries. We believe that MIT can provide us a global view to continue a sustained growth from Argentina to LATAM. 

Furthermore, the prize funding available will allow CET to overcome the economic barriers to implement the solution.

We would like to partner with:

-Organizations with research skills worldwide.

-Organizations Creating Gender Equality in the Tech Community worldwide.

-Organizations involved in technology issues in Latin America in order to scale CET e-learning platform.

CET will invest the prize in improving the virtual platform and generating more content to deliver the Programs and ensure that more young girls in Argentina and Latin America overcome stereotype barrier and become creators of technology.

The Women Prize would be utilized to improve the technological resources used on the virtual platform created to deliver CET Programs in Argentina and Latin America and design new functions and contents to provide a better service. Furthermore, through the Women Prize recognition the solution will be propelled  through out Argentina and Latin America.

The Programs focus on inspiring the next generation of technology entrepreneurs and programmers in Latin America. To achieve this, CET works with adolescents of varied educational and sociocultural environments. The program combines intensive instruction in application development, high impact mentoring and exposure to real-world technology companies, as well as personalized support with activities strategically designed for all our graduates to accompany them in the choice and development of their profession.