Mastercard has extended access to its signature STEM curriculum, Girls4TechTM, through a suite of new online, creative educational resources. The programme has been designed to help parents and teachers engage and inspire kids, ages eight to 12.
Through the newly launched website Girls4Tech Connect, as well as through activities made in collaboration with Mastercard’s education partner Scholastic, teachers and parents can download lessons to help students learn about STEM topics, from the comfort of their homes.
These activities are built on global science and maths standards – and incorporate Mastercard’s deep expertise in payments technology and innovation – to enable children to discover a range of STEM careers, such as Fraud Detective, Data Scientist and Software Engineer.
Now in its sixth year, Girls4Tech has engaged more than 800 000 students across the globe – including more than 1 000 in South Africa – through inquiry-based activities and real-world challenges, all with the goal of inspiring more girls to pursue STEM careers and reduce the gender gap in these fields.
Recently, Mastercard launched its first 2020 South African Girls4Tech programme at Phoenix College in Johannesburg where it reached 110 girls aged between nine and 11.
“We know that these are challenging times for parents and teachers on many fronts and hope that these learning resources are a fun way to engage and inspire kids about STEM while at home,” says Suzanne Morel, country manager: South Africa at Mastercard. “The easy access to the website enhances what we’ve done in so many workshops in South Africa. We look forward to building on both efforts when it’s once again safe to gather in person.”
Beginning this week, new activities will be posted on a weekly basis at the Girls4Tech website, Facebook page and Twitter account. Lessons are currently available in English.
While all lessons are designed for students to work independently, materials are also available for teachers to guide online sessions.