USA: Washington
Marking International Women’s Day 8 March 2019, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, partnered by the Swedish Institute, arranged a two-day workshop for girls at Sweden’s Washington embassy.
Tekla Workshop
The Tekla Festival in Washington had two thematic parts. One of these, Tekla Workshop, was for girls aged 11 – 15. It gave them the opportunity to build, test and create technologically in an environment where all roles were open to them.
Held by Tekla veteran Caroline Dahl, Technology Innovator at RISE , the workshop enabled girls to use sensors and lasers to create an installation that mixed music and technology.
Tekla Dialogue
The other part was Tekla Dialogue, a panel debate focused on highlighting problems and solutions regarding equal opportunities in technology industries. Females are often underrepresented here. Taking part in the debate were: Robyn, world-famous musical artist; Leslie Cruz, CEO of STEMconnector; Yamilée Toussaint Beach, founder and CEO of STEM From Dance; and, Kate Rabinowitz, graphics reporter at the Washington Post. The moderator was Natalia Brzezinsky, CEO at Brilliant Minds Foundation and host of the Brilliant Minds podcast on Spotify.
Decision-makers, company representatives and delegates from the education sector ensured that the auditorium was soon full.
Take part of the Tekla Dialogue
Meet Robyn in a video introduction to Tekla: