The IBM Exploring Interests in Technology and Engineering (Exite) technology camp for girls, which ended on Friday, saw 30 Grade Nine students learn various IT skills through workshops, field trips and games.
IBM's Exite technology camps are held around the world between May and October, to offer schoolgirls the opportunity to explore technology as a career, and work collaboratively on maths and science projects.
Thirty schoolgirls from Diepsloot Combined High School, Sizanani High School and Riverlea Senior Secondary School participated in the week-long camp.
The aim of the technology camp is to motivate and encourage girls to consider IT and engineering as a career. "Even if we get one girl to go into the industry, IBM has done something right," says IBM HR learning partner Natalie van Rooyen.
"None of the three schools have computers," she adds, and for the majority of the girls, this was their first opportunity to learn basic computer skills.
Riverlea learner Adelaide Kgoadi (15) wants to work in the IT industry after she finishes school. She says after attending the Exite camp she has learnt the importance of science and technology in everyday life. "Engineering is behind everything we do."
Sizanani learners Patricia Sehlabane (16), Patricia Radebe (16), Portia Malindi (15) and Patricia Khumalo (15) say their favourite learning experience was searching the Internet and sending e-mails to people far away.
Malindi says she and the other girls learnt about servers, desktops and laptops, how to connect computer cables, as well as connecting motherboards. They also learnt basic engineering skills through building Lego robots.
This is the fifth year IBM SA has run Exite. So far, 182 girls in SA have participated in the programme. This is the first year, however, that IBM will keep track of the girls until matric.
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