Coding, robotics camp inspire girls at Credo Sophia House

IGT recently sponsored a coding and robotics camp at Credo Sophia House, East Port of Spain.

The IGT Coding & Robotics Rock! Camp is a sponsored STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning initiative, said a media release.

The two-week vacation programme was introduced at Sophia House three years ago as part of IGT’s After School Advantage Programme. Since then, it has not only ignited curiosity among the girls but has begun to reshape their futures.

“The IGT Coding & Robotics Rock! Camp has been a game-changer for us,” said Dale Bartholemew, administrator of Credo’s residential homes.

“It has helped the girls to understand technology, see that it can be a revolutionary tool for them, and that they can actually have a career in this. The camp has broadened their horizons as women. By participating and seeing that technology isn’t only a male world, they’re now able to think outside the box about what they want to do professionally.”

IGT Caribbean collaborates with The Mona Geoinformatics Institute (MGI), UWI Mona Campus on the camp’s curriculum and receives guidance from Nalini Ramsawak-Jodha, lecturer in education (teaching of mathematics) at the Faculty of Education at the UWI, St Augustine Campus. The result is a deep dive into technology, connecting youth from around the Caribbean in a virtual camp that sparks the imagination – complete with a graduation ceremony inside a virtual world where each participant’s avatar receives their certificate, the release said.

The camp has had a profound impact on Sophia House. “The girls have been able to socialise with and learn from the camp facilitators based in Barbados and Jamaica. It’s given them a sense of the bigger world, and the confidence to think about going to another island to study,” said Bartholomew.

The rising interest in technology has also broadened their appreciation of STEM academics. Three campers are topping their math classes right now, showing how much the camp has impacted their academic performance.

In July, with the guidance of passionate mentors and educators, the young ladies not only grasped complex computer science concepts but also teamed up to build their very own robot. The beginner-level course was tailored for newcomers, while the girls who participated last year were introduced to more advanced, complex web development including HTML, CSS and JavaScript and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the release said.

“The girls are now focusing on their futures. They have already started to speak about going to university, which is something you would never have heard our children speak about before, because, for whatever reasons, they believed they were not able to obtain that. But now there is the possibility that they can become someone in the field of technology or science, not just an ‘average job’. They’re aspiring to greater heights,” said Bartholemew.

She also credits IGT for being very involved, offering mentorship and bringing in professionals from the company to inspire campers both at camp and year-round. Earlier this year on International Women’s Day, IGT’s staff led a career mentorship session for the girls where they delved deeper into their future career plans.

IGT, in the release said, its commitment to funding the camp underscores the importance of providing equal opportunities in STEM education. These young ladies from Credo Sophia House are well on their way to becoming the next generation of STEM thinkers, ready to tackle the challenges of the digital age and beyond.

In the words of Bartholomew: “We always remind them – you are not your circumstances. The sky’s the limit at this point.”