On Saturday, March 7 — one day before International Women’s Day — 70 girls from grades 7 to 10 will gather at McMaster University to take part in Go CODE Girl, an annual event organized by Canada’s top post secondary institutions.
Go CODE Girl is an annual event organized by Canada’s top post secondary institutions, under the guidance of the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering (ONWiE), designed to introduce young women to the wide range of career possibilities available in technology, computing and software engineering.
Throughout the day, students will learn about digital literacy skills that will drive tomorrow’s communications and innovations to improve society. Female undergraduate students, professional engineers and professors will also share their stories of why they’re passionate about their work.
“McMaster Engineering is dedicated to make science and engineering more accessible to the next generation of women,” said Kim Jones, chemical engineering associate professor and ONWiE chair.
In 2019, 35 per cent of McMaster Engineering’s first-year class identified as female, up from 19 per cent in 2015.
More than 600 girls attended Go CODE Girls Events in 12 locations across Canada last year.
The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m. Parents will also have the opportunity to take part in an informative session about the path to an exciting career in computing and software engineering.
ONWiE has received generous support from Innovator Partners including the Council of Ontario Deans of Engineering (CODE), the McMaster University Faculty of Engineering, TD Bank Group, ArcelorMittal and Motivator Partner See It Be It STEM It.
About the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering (ONWiE)
Formed in 2005, ONWiE works collaboratively with other stakeholders to support current female engineers, students, and encourage the next generation of women to pursue careers in engineering. It is a unique and innovative collaboration that works to address low female enrollment in engineering programs. ONWiE’s flagship programs, Go ENG Girl, Go CODE Girl, and Girl Guide Badge Days are free annual events organized by ONWiE and Canada’s top universities. Girls in grades 7-10 are offered the chance to learn more about engineering fields and coding through a series of fun hands-on activities and exhibits.
Media Contact:
Kim Jones
Chair of ONWiE
Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University
(905) 525-9140 x 26333
To request a press pass to the event, please contact kjones@mcmaster.ca.
