Description
What is it like to work in the technology industry and where can you study IT? The Super-Ada event, Finland, aims to encourage girls and young women to study technology by representing what the IT industry is like now and what it could be like in the future.
This event aims to be a fun competition track, consisting of a number of different technology-related tasks. The female participants compete in teams of 3-4, trying to be the first to complete eight different challenge stations. The team that wins will be rewarded with summer jobs within the IT industry. There were also some other competitions and prizes to win, such as iPad Minis.
During the event, the participants have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with state of the art technology, as well as exhibitions, presentations, as well as hear career stories from current female influencers in the IT industry.
The event is free for the participating girls to enter.
Target Audience
- Adult citizens
- Teenagers
You can do it with all those groups, but we did it with professionals from different fields like public engagement or the cultural and creative sector.
Benefits
Benefits
At least two groups of young women will get a summer job in the IT industry, and at least 100 young women will get information about what it is like to work in the IT industry.
In Finland, less than 24% of IT students and employees are women. SuperAda is a campaign aimed at getting more girls and young women in the IT industry. The campaign’s name is inspired by the world’s first programmer, Ada Lovelace.
The main goal is to attract especially girls and young women between 16 and 22 years to the IT industry. In addition to that, the event brings together female influencers, learning institutions and corporations within the industry.
Preparations
Project Timeline
Main Event Duration: 1 day
Project Duration: Several Months (4 months minimum)- the following example takes place between November- February.
The core team will start to organise the event in November, as well as make any necessary venue reservations. The sponsorship, discussion panel and exhibitors negotiations need to happen between November to January. The summer job negotiations should be confirmed from November to February. The event happens in February.
Marketing starts in January.
Single Event Structure
10. 00 – 10.30 Registration
10. 30 – 10.45 Opening the event: the Speaker
10.45 – 11.45 Orienteering competition starts (control points open)
11.45 – 12.45 Lunch and coffee
12. 45 – 13. 45 The discussion panel (control points are closed)
13.45 – 14.00 Coffee break
14. 00 – 15. 00 Orienteering competition continues (control points open)
15.00 – 16.00 The results of the competition
Personnel roles
Core team: negotiating the sponsorship, companies and the summer jobs, marketing, the lunch and coffee: November to February
Women network: negotiating the participants of the panel discussion, marketing, finding the speaker of the day: November to February
Companies: marketing January- February, and the event day
Volunteers: organising the venue, tables, chairs and rostrum, on the morning of the event.
Speaker: taking care the everyone is having fun and feeling homely
Make sure to communicate early who needs to be where at what time on the day. A general outline of which personnel are required when and what tasks they should fulfil can be inserted here.
Materials
The materials needed for this event consist of information about the education possibilities and the career pathways available within the IT industry. Some of this will be available online but at the event, the schools, universities and companies can share brochures as well as set up informative stands as part of the exhibition.
Resources for the puzzle needs to be arranged prior to the event- perhaps done in collaboration with schools, universities or industrial leads.
Other Logistics
Refreshments: Lunch and refreshments will need to be provided, perhaps this can be done through an affiliated institute.
