Sisters of Code, the first female coding club established by IT Academy STEP Institute in Cambodia, proudly celebrated the graduation of its 2023 cohort that completed the program in March 2024. This program, supported by the Capacity Building Research and Development Fund of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport, empowers girls aged 9 to 18 to develop essential coding skills in a safe and supportive environment.
Equipping Girls for Tech Success
The 18-week Sisters of Code program provides a comprehensive introduction to the exciting world of technology. Students explore cybersecurity, unleash their creativity with Scratch game and animation development, gain hands-on coding experience using popular tools like Code.org, HTML, and CSS, and even learn website building with Wix templates. Culminating the program, participants showcase their acquired skills through final projects and presentations.
2023 Graduation Ceremony: Celebrating Achievements and Inspiring Futures
On April 21, 2024, at IT Academy STEP Cambodia, 68 dedicated students proudly graduated from the Sisters of Code program. The ceremony was attended by students from 5 online and offline clubs, with an additional 2 clubs from the provinces celebrating independently at their schools.
Showcasing Skills: From Games to Websites
The graduation ceremony wasn't just about speeches and certificates. It was an opportunity for the graduates to shine! Students proudly presented their final projects, demonstrating the diverse skills they acquired throughout the program. Highlights included:
A captivating maze game created using Scratch, showcasing the students' mastery of game development principles.
Websites built with Wix templates reflect their creativity and ability to apply coding knowledge to real-world scenarios. Project themes ranged from a website for a cake shop to a charming online tea shop, proving their versatility.
An impressive website designed for PAWS, a non-profit organization dedicated to animal protection. This project exemplified the students' ability to leverage technology for social good.
Inspiring Families and Building Confidence
The event wasn't just for graduates; it was a celebration for the entire Sisters of Code community. Parents were in attendance, witnessing firsthand the incredible abilities and progress of their daughters. The excitement and pride were evident as families saw how their girls could now confidently navigate the digital world and utilize digital tools for creative expression and problem-solving.
More than Education: Building a Supportive Network
Sisters of Code strives to be more than just an educational program. We aim to foster a supportive environment where girls can make new friends, build confidence in their abilities, and discover their passion for technology. Most of the graduates expressed their desire to continue their education in the tech field, a testament to the program's positive influence.
What Motivates Our Participants?
According to a survey conducted with our graduates, the primary reasons for joining Sisters of Code were curiosity about learning coding (48%) and needing coding skills for their studies (39%). This highlights the growing interest in technology among young women in Cambodia and the program's effectiveness in addressing this need.
Building a Gender-Inclusive Tech Future
We are proud that an overwhelming majority (88%) of our graduates would recommend Sisters of Code to other girls. This positive feedback underscores the program's value in creating a supportive community for girls in tech. Even more encouraging is the fact that after graduation, most participants (97%) believe there is no gender difference in studying technology and it depends on personal abilities. This shift in perspective is crucial for fostering a more inclusive tech industry in Cambodia.
We wish all our graduates a successful future and continue to discover and develop their talents.
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