Welcome to Digigirls

Background

Due to the reported decline in girls undertaking InformationTechnology

Vocational Education and Training subjects in schools in a climate where

boys participation has been on the rise, a program was needed to promote

ICT to girls, provide much needed career information, and address their

reported negative perceptions of the industry.

The Digi-Girls Program was developed as a response to these issues within a partnership between the then Ryde District Office and Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE NSW. NSI now runs the program spread across a broader range of techologies.

Digi-Girls has targeted girls from high schools in the Northern Region for some years mainly attracting girls in Year 10 but the program has also included girls in Years 9,11 and 12. Co-educational schools were specifically targeted to provide girls with a different leaning environment in order to accelerate their interest and skills in Information Technology, as it was considered it was these girls ‘who were doing it hard’. The program now also includes girls from single sex and non government schools.

Program Format

Currently a Digi-Girls Program is run over two days culminating on the second evening with a presentation of the work the girls have done to parents and school representatives.

The girls are taught by IT professionals with teaching qualifications who are specialists in their field.

The girls are presented with a great deal of learning very quickly to get them feeling confident about their new skills for the presentation.

There is a section of the program detailing the career possibilities of their new skills and a session with role models from the industry.