Last places left for girls’ tech challenge

Budding female techies still have time to sign up to a special event aimed at encouraging more girls to get interested in engineering.

Girls Do Tech, organised by Jewish Interactive and Intu, is calling on youngsters aged 12 to 18 to take part in the two-day extravaganza on Saturday, 6, and Sunday, 7 October.

Focusing on wearable technology, participants will work in teams alongside a tech and business mentor, to design, create and make their ideas, which could be anything from a bike helmet indicating left or right with a simple tilt to the head or a bracelet made from headphones.

The teams will then present their creations to the judging panel, which includes James Rosenthal, director of Global Agency at Google, Tamar Roth, product development engineer for SODA and Francine Wolfisz, features editor at Jewish News.

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Among the prizes up for grabs are an exclusive tour of Google HQ, gift vouchers and a Berlin Boombox.

Jewish Interactive came up with the event after noticing last year’s hackathon day attracted only five girls out of 50 children.

Pia Azzuri, director of partnerships and events at Jewish Interactive, said: “We are hoping our event will empower and inspire girls to embrace technology, to see it with a real relevance to their lives and the jobs of tomorrow.”

•  Girls Do Tech takes place on Saturday, 6 October, 8.30pm to 10pm, and Sunday, 7 October, 9am to 7pm, in Westminster.
• Register at jewishinteractive.org/girls-do-tech