W.TEC Empowers Girls with Tech Skills, STEM Education

Women Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC), a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) that is into training and educating of young girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, at the weekend in Lagos, graduated 19 girls from its 17th edition of ‘She Creates Camp 2024’.

This brings the total number of girls empowered through the programme to over 600, since its inception in 2008.

The ‘She Creates Camp’ is a residential science and technology education and mentoring programme designed to teach girls in secondary schools between the ages of 13 and 17 years to learn how to create useful solutions and technologies for everyday living through the application of engineering and scientific concepts, programming, mobile application development, and digital content development.

For the two-week duration of the residential camp, 19 girls participated in technology workshops on Artificial Intelligence, Electronics, Software Innovation, Hands-on Projects, Team building, Career-talk sessions, Excursions, Entrepreneurial Skills, introduction to Marine Engineering, Recycling workshop and Upcycling, introduction to Bio-gas, Waste management, Solar power technology and electronics. Other skills include Alternative Power supply, Creative Design using AI, introduction to Internet of Things (IOTs), introduction to Environmental Sustainability, Safer internet techniques for girls and cyber security and numerous co-curricular activities including financial literacy, Arts and Crafts, Self-Defense, Public Speaking, Gender and Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, among others.

The girls also participated in career talk sessions, team-building exercises, and excursions to both Wecyclers and Sonnex Packaging Nigeria Ltd both in Lagos.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Executive Director of W.TEC, Mrs. Oreoluwa Lesi, said she was motivated to begin the programme for girls because women hardly access computers and women were not found at innovation workspaces, adding that the initiative seeks to empower young girls and to teach them skills in emerging technologies.