Technovation Challenge Impact (GIRLS, FOR A CHANGE!) – eSTEM Morocco

Walk into any college physics or engineering class, and you will undoubtedly find that males occupy most – if not all – seats. This trend worsens as math and science classes become more advanced. This is the significant underrepresentation of girls in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The few girls and women who begin careers in STEM face male-dominated workplaces with high rates of discrimination. This education gap is fueled by gender stereotypes and expectations where men are the overwhelming majority of students studying STEM fields in higher education. Many obstacles are blocking the path to gender equality. Established social bias means girls are encouraged – sometimes pushed—to focus on marriage and children. 

eSTEM Morocco (Environmental Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) is a non-profit Moroccan organization that started operation in march 2014 with a grant from the American exchange program TechWomen. The mission of eSTEM Morocco is to provide young Moroccan girls and women with tools and enough self-confidence to encourage them to pursue scientific and technological careers while spreading awareness of sustainable development challenges and the role technology plays in a sustainable world.  ESTEM aims to help girls undergo life-changing experiences and empower them to pursue careers in STEM fields.

It empowers girls with training, mentorship, and support to participate in camps, international competitions, and exchange programs. 

eSTEM Morocco launched 2015 the first edition of the  “International Conference on Girls in Science & Technology”  to discuss the different challenges and solutions to bring more Girls into STEM fields in general and in leadership positions in particular. Brilliant girls with exceptional stories were on stage to share their stories and inspire more girls to believe in their capabilities.

eSTEM initiated an international program called” Technovation Challenge,” with an Annual curriculum about Entrepreneurship and Technology that targets girls from 10 to 18 years old in order to promote the culture of innovation &  creativity, encourage STEM orientation of girls and give them access to technology, and value community work and its social impact especially on rural areas.

This initiative aims at changing how thousands of Moroccan girls think about science, technology, engineering, and math. “Technovation challenge” offers two programs – Technovation Girls and Technovation Families – which bring kids and adults together to solve big problems in their communities.

eSTEM Morocco organizes each year as an official ambassador, the program “Technovation Challenge”, the world’s largest global tech entrepreneurship competition for girls. Technovation Challenge offers girls the opportunity to learn the skills they need to emerge as tech entrepreneurs and leaders. Girls work in teams to build both a mobile app and a business plan to launch that app, supported by mentors and guided by a Technovation curriculum, which takes students through 4 stages of launching a mobile app startup, inspired by the principles of design thinking:

• Ideation: identify a problem in the community
• Technology: develop a mobile app solution
• Entrepreneurship: Build a business plan to launch the app
• Pitch: Bring the business to market

Over 23 000 girls around the world and 100+ countries have joined the Technovation challenge. 

• 81 Cities and villages have joined the Technovation challenge in Morocco.
• Over 1320 girls (aged between 10 to 18 ) participated in the workshops.
• 296 mentors have helped the girls to create their projects.
• Over 50 judges have evaluated the past project.
• 283 Mobile apps have been created.
• 3 International Awards.

After volunteering with Technovation, 58% of mentors increased their technical skills, 67% of mentors increased their knowledge about entrepreneurship, and 70% of mentors learned to be effective mentors. 

eSTEM believes that supporting girls and women is not only a self-empowerment opportunity for them but also a life-changing journey where they discover themselves and their own potential with an organized and highly skilled team. eSTEM wants to expand its activities by bringing More Girls into Technology and entrepreneurship before 2030.