Description
The aim of this meet and code is to try and engage more female students into computer after keysage 3. Last years mixed group events where fantastic and resulted in an improved overall uptake. However despite engagement only 1 female students has chosen GCSE CS. When Polled girls felt it was a male dominated area of study and not really for girls, yet I have some very engaged year 9 girls.
To counter this I plan to start a club at the school for girls only, I already have 23 girls signed up and I am hoping this is just the start. I would like to kick off the club with a high profile event, where girls from Keystage 3 come together to build and code robots powered by the Pico. Introducing many of them to text based coding for the first time. This stem style activity will include opportunities to take part in a range of tech based activities. The event will run over throughout September and October and will involve weekly meet up both at lunch as a drop in and after school as a more structured event. Following the half term break we will have a Dance off competition of the robots.
Girls who code (name of club to be decided by the members) will then run for the reminder of the year with the girls leading the path the group takes. The longer term plan is to run a stem style sessions in a primary feeder school and hopefully an event for other secondary schools. The girls who attend the event will get a kit bag that includes all the hardware needed for the event. I am planning to make the event high visibility around the school. With the showcase event In October.