In the frame of Mentors Beyond Borders, a Girls in Tech Cameroon’s project, GetReady acted as a technical partner during the organization and the running of a three weeks “Tech Skills Bootcamp” which took place at CMPJ Madagascar in Yaoundé from July 08th to 27th, 2016 under the patronage of the Cameroonian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, with support of the Embassy of the United States of America in Cameroon. Partners of the project included TechWomen Cameroon, and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.
Over 60 students ages 10 to 18 participated in the bootcamp. The overall purpose of the camp was to expose students to practical uses of technology, and to foster in these youth a new interest in science and innovation. The topics covered were:
- Building games with Scratch
- Electronics
- Mobile apps design and programming
- 3D modeling
- Robotics
Students were encouraged to draw on their previous knowledge to create complex projects which they presented at multiple events to diverse audiences including the Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, as well as the Ambassador of Israel. At the end of the camp all students were surveyed and agreed they had learned new skills and were challenged to use technology in new and exciting ways.
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| View of students learning how to build games with Scratch |
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| Students were invited to visit one of the offices of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Cameroon. During this visit, Ms. Eileen Brewer (Director at Symantec in California) facilitated a “motherboard workshop”, and all students groups presented their projects to AIMS representatives and to M. Ran Gidor, Ambassador of Israel in Cameroon |
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| Students were introduced to entrepreneurship during a workshop with YES Cameroon facilitated by M. Gilbert Ewemeh |
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