Panamanian ICT Girls Can Do It!

September 9, 2014

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Panamanian girls work on a project during their “Wonderful Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Girls Can Do It” program. Panamanian girls work on a project during their “Wonderful Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Girls Can Do It” program. Photo Credit, U.S. Embassy of Panama
When you give girls the tools to succeed, you impact communities and change the world. Panamanian Fulbright alumni, led by Drs. Rafael Vasquez and Leila Lombardo, recently finished their 2013 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) project, “Wonderful Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Girls Can Do It.”  With an encouraging environment and innovative tools, the program ensured that 300 girls in Panama City gained critical thinking skills, learned the benefits of teamwork, and developed healthy self-esteem.
 
The exchange alumni planning team worked with Girl Scout leaders to develop a program that incorporated educational activities, ICT tools, and teamwork. Program participants, Girl Scouts and Brownies, ranging from seven to fifteen years of age, participated in workshops that enhanced their understanding of natural science, math, technology, and art. The girls worked with hands-on tools and games, plotting routes using GPS and maps, programming electric circuits to generate melodies, and using virtual games to explore the environment and mathematics. 
 
After nine months of enriching workshops, the U.S. Ambassador to Panama, Jonathan D. Farrar, hosted a closing ceremony, acknowledging the success of the program. 

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