STEM is FEM held the thirteenth module "IT: eLearning" with the support of the educational platform Preply
How the educational online projects were created? What technologies are used and what specialists are needed for this? For two days the speakers of the free module "IT: eLearning" from the charity educational project STEM is FEM answered questions about information technology in digital education.
During the two days of the module, experienced industry experts comprehensively introduced the girls to the world of IT in eLearning - from project management and application design, to the use of the latest technologies in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The module was also attended by motivational speakers - successful women from various fields - high officials, diplomats, businesswomen and more.
Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for European Integration Valeria Ionan shared her success story and stressed that the main thing is to sincerely believe in your idea and not give up despite unsuccessful attempts to implement it.
"I worked in a private business for a long time. Then I came up with the idea of a small business assistance program from the state, like the ones in the EU and the US. I started to develop it, for two years I tried to reach out to various institutions, people asking me to help implement it. And once, she decided to turn directly to someone who already works in government. I wrote to the Minister of Digital Transformation, and we started working together. That's how the "Diia. Business" project came about. So do not be afraid of your ideas, even if they are super-large," - said Valeria Ionan.
Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, Tatiana Gavrish, told the audience that it was the ability to abstract from prejudices that helped her succeed.
"I grew up in the philosophy that the world belongs to men" That's what everyone told me. But a person can do anything. The main quality of any person is the strength of will. This knowledge gives the feeling of no restrictions. "It helped me a lot in the 'male' world - to ignore stereotypes,"- said the Сonsul.
Olga Panivnyk, Vice President of Preply, emphasized, that in today's world, gender is not important for success.
"Everyone has potential. And it doesn't matter if she's a boy or a girl. All our limitations are only in our head. Your thoughts influence on what happens in your life. So believe in what is important to you. If you believe in equality, so it will be" - Olya Panivnyk shared her point.
Lauren Romeo, head of data analysis at AXA International & New Markets, added that the same right to success as men does not negate the fact that girls will have to work just as hard to achieve it.
"It's always easy to tell a story, but it's very difficult to go your own way. When I got my PhD, I worked hard for 5 years. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I don't want to scare you. In fact, in the end, it's all rewarded. This gives reason to be proud of yourself. All the effort you put in, all the tears, sleepless nights, experiences, in the end give a feeling of satisfaction. And overcoming obstacles makes you more resilient and stronger," - said Lauren Romeo.
Ukrainian jewelry designer Valery Guzema shared her secret to success.
"I had a lot of failures, from which I concluded that you can never give up. If you tried once and the door didn't open for you - don't give up! Please try again. If you think that the answer "no" is definitely "no", you are wrong. Because the first, the second, the fifth time - it can be "no", and the sixth - "yes". This is not the first time I have succeeded. But understanding that every failure should be perceived as an experience helps to develop and move on," - Valeria shared.
The international educational online platform Preply became a partner of the module. Representatives of Preply spoke about the intricacies of working with their product, as well as gave useful advice to the girls.
Preply Engineering Manager Vadym Vlasenko stressed that the main thing in IT is the constant learning.
"You will learn every day. Throughout life. It is important to always be patient. You will have enough time and opportunities. However, we should not forget about persistence, which will help you achieve your goals, " - Vlasenko said.
Front End Lead developer Oleksandra Zhardetska noted to the girls that coding and other hard skills are not 100% the work of engineers. General skills are also very important.
"Don't just focus on technical skills. It is important to develop such soft skills as creativity, the ability to work in a team, and the ability to take responsibility and more. Also, don't be afraid to admit that you don't know something. Always ask for help. Too often, this is the only way to learn or solve a problem. In addition, constantly improve and learn to stay in trend. And learn English. After all, why limit ourselves if we can work in any company in the world? ” - Oleksandra advised.
Anna Gerdiy, who works as a front-end developer in the educational online platform Preply, told how not to fall victim to their own stereotypes.
"When I was 16-17 years old, I decided where to study. I knew that I would take mathematics at the external examination, I did well. At that time, my brother had been studying software engineering for three years, but for some reason I did not consider that I could go to study there. So I went to the economy. Because my parents and I had stereotypes that programming is not for girls. It is not true. Everything is for girls. Programming as well,” - shared Anna Gerdiy.
Virginia de Colombani, the company’s Product Designer, conducted a "Think as a Digital Designer" workshop for the girls and taught how to create educational program interfaces. Virginia stressed that the main thing in this case is to clearly present the portrait of the target audience - people who will use your product.
"When you think about someone's idea, remember to create a design. Study these people, try to find out about your needs. Don't ignore their problems and think about how to solve them," - de Colombani advised.
Yulia Khodakivska, project manager of the Prometheus online education platform, shared her tips on choosing the first job.
"Work should open up opportunities. It is very important. Especially at the initial stage. You have the opportunity to try and know as much as possible. Also, in the first stage, it is important to work with someone who can learn something and who is ready to teach you. So, when choosing a job, pay attention to it," - Yulia Khodakivska shared.
At the end of the module, the participants took part in a creative competition. The task was to develop a prototype of an educational digital project - a website or application. 17-year-old Daria Kovgan from Zaporizhia became a winner and got the prize - an Apple iPad128Gb tablet and a $200 deposit for training on the Preply platform.
The module was implemented thanks to the grant "The girls' fund" from the community "We Are Purposeful", which supports girls leaders and is actively involved in the global campaign by UN Women "Generation of Equality".