Six
Nigerian women win Google competition
The
Nigerian women who participated in the just concluded 2015 TechWomen programme
are Desiree Craig, Olasimbo Sojinrin, Omolara Aladesanmi, Abiola Ilupeju,
Abiola Amos and Mercy Sosanya.
Six
Nigerian women have made the country proud again by winning the TechWomen
2015 Action Plan Pitch competition held at the Google Headquarters,
Mountain View, California. The competition which involved teams from twenty
(20) other countries from Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East was part of
a 5-week TechWomen exchange program organized by the United States Department
of State.
The
"Action Plan" is an activity recently introduced to the programme to
give the participants opportunity to collaborate on a joint project to give
back to their community when they return to their respective home countries.
Six winning teams were selected from twenty groups and awarded a seed grant of
$2,500 each to execute the project. The Nigerian team took the first position
with their Action Plan called “STEM in a box”. While presenting the award to
the team on the 27th of October 2015, Toro Orero, Managing Partner, DraperDarkFlow
said “The Nigerian team not only won at the panel, but also won the audience
votes.”
The
Nigerian women who participated in the just concluded 2015 TechWomen programme
are Desiree Craig, Olasimbo Sojinrin, Omolara Aladesanmi, Abiola
Ilupeju, Abiola Amos and Mercy Sosanya.
TechWomen
is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs. Launched in 2011, the programme brings emerging women leaders
in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) from Africa,
Central Asia and the Middle East together with their professional counterparts
in the United States for a mentorship and exchange program. TechWomen provides
participants access to networks, resources, and knowledge which empowers the
women to reach their full potential and become role models for women and girls
in their communities.
During
the five-week programme, participants engaged in project-based mentorships at
leading companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley where they participated in professional
development workshops and networking events. At the end of the four-week
professional mentorship, the women traveled to Washington D.C. for targeted
meetings and special events to conclude the programme.
"STEM in a Box" is a
portable handy box customized to complement the delivery of science lessons in
middle schools in Nigeria (JSS 1 to JSS 3). The box contains hands-on resources
and tools to teach Basic Science and Technology. The primary target is schools
in rural areas - to inspire interest and increase the enrollment of students
into science classes in senior secondary school.
The Nigerian TechWomen will partner
with schools, non-profit organizations and government entities to get the box
to as many schools as possible.
Folarin Okunola
The Pulse
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