Girl for IT

“Girl for It” is a program aimed at women who have already gone through high school, allowed for girls up to 20 years old. The purpose of the program is to innovate, according to the problem-solving metrics of industry 4.0, and to impact the lives of the girls, given the little openness they have in the face of technological content and to transform the current market that closes for the entry of women.Young women have the opportunity to learn the basic content of programming, which normally is not something that girls learn because of the wrong belief that technology is not a field for women.  The idea is that we can stimulate and motivate these girls to seek knowledge in the STEM area, like computing. We empower women and seek a much more equal and justice.

We are aiming to solve the problem that just a few girls and women are interested in studying and working in areas related to the field of technology information in Brazil and also around the world. The research from IBGE (Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics) shows that just 20% of the jobs in this field are occupied by women. Also, in universities the reality is almost the same, most of the students in courses such as computer science are men. This problem has a lot of causes such as people do not invest in initiatives to promote this area for girls, others even believe that some careers are for girls and others for boys, a belief that we are certain that is not true.

The Girl for IT is a course where girls learn beginner programming skills, at the end of the program they should have done a basic website, based on the skills that they have learned. 

The solution is for girls up to 20 years old, that are in a vulnerable situation. Furthermore, they can learn programming skills, they can fully understand that as girls the technology information is a field for them and they can meet women and girls that work in that field, cause this program is taught by volunteers that work in this area (the preference is for women).

The problem: just a few girls are interested on information technology areas

Solution: course where girls learn beginner programming skills 

Solution target population: girls and young women that are in a vulnerable situation

Thinking of an inequality scenario, where women do not have the same opportunities as men, precisely because of sexist motivations, what is most innovative about Girl was IT is the encouragement of young women, empowerment and the possibility of learning, in addition to the clarity that women can be entrepreneurs and programmers.

The Girl for IT is directed towards the female application and the resumption of the space for girls to interact in the new technology and it’s changes, as well as university courses focused on the technological area of STEM. The program itself is innovative because it’s unique regionally. The application model is face-to-face and involves volunteers. We take advantage of our knowledge of programming and make it both teachable and applicable. Our great technology is the power is  transformation.

Like any good entrepreneurial institution, JA Minas Gerais, incessantly, seeks new ways to innovate and there is a constant search for new technologies that can add to Girl for IT, whether software or hardware. However, we will instantly use the tested version.

The theory of solution to the imposed question comes from an in-depth study carried out during the project’s applications. We provide opportunities to obtain content never before available for young women, obviously related to sexist issues. Through training, we place young women in large companies and provide the chance to network and later ask for professional opportunities. We call this process “the path to success”, we transform the professional reality of girls. Humanity, social perception, intrapreneurship and professionalism are the words that endure in the project.

Absorbing the numerical facts, it’s possible to approximate the impact already registered in 26 girls in two pilot models. Thinking about the scalability of the program and directing investment to the breadth of the project, it’s possible to affirm that we would be able to generate an impact on over 500 people, thinking in applications for approximately 17 classes with 30 students each, including young people, volunteers and also education institutions and companies linked in the project. In 5 years of abolished growth, we would have an exponential coverage of impact on more than 4100 students. 

Girl for IT has the potential to move social media and generate a successful network, propagating the transformation and importance of equality and fair spaces for men and women within the programming market. Therefore, the program has the potential to impact the entire society.

In the last year, we applied the project in person, used it as an initial test, and was succeand was successful. Our main objective is to make JA Minas Gerais a reference in innovation and that Girl for IT becomes a reference program in inclusion, social impact, and technological innovation. Along with the central objective, we have strands aimed at changing the social paradigm, archaic thoughts that hinder socio-economic evolution and appropriate inclusion.  

And in the next 5 years, the goal is to have already established a solid chain of dissemination of our purpose, which is to build value futures.

There are two barriers to the full success of Girl for IT. The key is the reach of monetary resources for investment in new platforms, manufacturers, and expansion of the scope of the project. This includes the entire scope, from training volunteers to the exponential growth of people impacted by the project. The second point is the convincing of the marketing structure that the inclusion of women in the programming is important. But it is necessary to create a network to confirm the success of the project. This is fundamental for the engagement of young girls.

Considering the obstacles to the leverage of the project and using pilot applications as the basis of analysis, we will assemble an action plan, covering the purchase of more application materials, the main one being the purchase of the book Girl for IT, in sequence, screening of volunteers willing to foster change and using digital media, create a posting plan that certainly created authority for JA Minas Gerais' social networks. Therefore, we will show that we are specialists in entrepreneurship, we will attract companies and young students and consequently we will inhibit our barriers.Consider addressing each barrier individually. Highlight resources that you have or will pursue, and explain how you will use them. You may refer back to these barriers when completing the questions in the Partnership Potential section, where we ask how the Solve community can help.

Junior Achievement is a nonprofit , since 1919, has had the mission of encouraging and providing young people around the world with the development of their skills. For 16 years in Minas Gerais, JA encourages young people to participate in their dreams. Using three focal points: entrepreneurship, financial education, and implementation in the labor market. Empower, inspire, and prepare students from across the state to have success in the global economy. Transformation is a keyword of JA, which empowers and strengthens employees, partners, and volunteers who mobilize help to the institution to create a better future for our young people. 

The solution is already ready, subject to small changes. Within the process, we have the presence of the Project Manager who monitors all the actions derived from the project, four project analysts, who are responsible for the application of the project, and also the volunteers assigned for the face-to-face applications.

The JA Minas Gerais team was extremely prepared to promote advances in the program. This was justified by the fact that everyone received training on the content of basic concepts of programming and training for the application of the project.

We have partnerships with several private institutions. As a third sector company, we need the investment of other institutions so that we can mobilize interested young people and finally make the interaction between these young people and companies. For example, we received the investment from a private company, which in addition to providing the monetary resource, offers the space for the Girl for IT, in addition to equipment, such as computers. The girls, in addition to training, can network with the institutions. Therefore, our bond is made in this way.

The business model is based on the solution and determines how the project's application purpose, which is social inclusion, breaking the sexist market, and equality. As the scope of work we have the printed material, it is the guide for all applications.

We do B2B trading, we need the financial support of private institutions to be able to mobilize interested students. With the capital raised, we managed to build a bridge to reach our focal point.