Techgirls are Superheroes!

The program, which runs across Australia and New Zealand, builds student ability to work collaboratively in the design of a mobile application (app). Loreto Kirribilli is one of the only schools to integrate the program into the curriculum.

The students begin the project with a Design Thinking Workshop run by the Academy of Enterprising Girls. They then work on a real world problem, thinking up an idea for an app that could resolve it. They work with a business mentor to develop a business plan, along with coding and creating the app. They design the logo, create a promotional video and a video to demonstrate the app in action.

More than 20 amazing mentors, from all aspects of industry - CFOs, founders, women working in artificial intelligence and leading all sorts of projects - shared their expertise in person and online, helping to build in our students' 21st century skills.

The results have been outstanding, with seven of the Year 6 Techgirls teams making it as finalists for NSW. Six teams were also selected as displaying a solution to one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Congratulations to our Year 6 team of Lily, Amy, Ava and Elizabeth for winning a Highly Commended Award for NSW. The team developed 'Charity Run', an idea to support charities while developing personal fitness.

The team explained the goals of their app: “Charity Run is a fitness and donation app. Our two areas of impact are our community and people living in poverty. Charity runs start you off by getting you up and running. You can track how far you’re running, you can make goals for yourself and you can unlock prizes.

"Whilst getting fit and healthy you can also donate money to charity. Every five kilometres you run money is raised. You can set goals on how much you would like to raise and also unlock donating achievements. Each month there is a different charity that donations go to.”

According to the judges, there were many quality entries this year. Our girls did really well. Listening to some of them chatting about their work and how they overcame challenges really displayed the depth of learning that went beyond the knowledge of content. The Techgirls Project has so many learning dispositions in action.

We not only have amazing entrepreneurs in the making, but our girls have shown that they are also humanitarians, ready to help change the world for the better.

Maria Emmi
E-Learning Teacher Educator