Earlier this year, Mastercard launched STEM curriculum, Girls4Tech to inspire and prepare 110 girls aged between 9 and 11 for careers in science and technology. Due to the restrictions of the COVID- 19 lockdown, Mastercard has extended access to its signature STEM curriculum through a new online platform called Girls4Tech Connect.
“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. 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,” said Suzanne Morel, Country Manager at Mastercard South Africa.
New activities will be posted on a weekly basis at the Girls4Tech website, Facebook page and Twitter handle. Lessons are currently available in English. Although they are designed for students to work independently, materials are also available for teachers to guide online sessions.
Teachers and parents can now 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. In turn, this will enable the children to discover a range of STEM careers, such as Fraud Detective, Data Scientist and Software Engineer.
To date, Girls4Tech has reached more than 800,000 girls in 27 countries and on 6 continents. Furthermore, Mastercard has partnered with Scholastic, Be Better China, Major League Baseball, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), R& A and YCAB in Indonesia to further scale the programme and offer STEM skills in unique ways to girls ages 8-16.
