Getting girls excited about computer science
Promoting diversity in two phases
Project completed
Funding for this project has been secured. If you are interested in supporting a project of this kind, please contact our staff. Click on the ‘How you can support us’ button to find out more about our funding opportunities.
What it's all about
Computer science is becoming an increasingly important part of our everyday lives. At the same time, women are underprivileged and significantly underrepresented in this field: in computer science degree programmes in Germany, women make up only 19% of the total student body, and only 16% of IT professionals. Inspiring girls to take a lasting interest in computer science has great potential to strengthen young women's later study and career choices in the field of computer science and to increase diversity in this professional field. Against this backdrop, the project ‘Inspiring Girls for Computer Science’ was launched as a collaboration between the Institute for School Pedagogy and Didactics (ISD) at KIT and the Vector Foundation.
What we already achieved
Project phase 1: Empowering and inspiring girls
The first project phase was carried out from 1 September 2019 to 31 December 2021 with funding of €100,000. The core of the project was the realisation that young girls need to be encouraged to take a greater interest in computer science at an early age. Five tailor-made teaching and learning units for girls aged 12 were therefore developed based on scientific data.
Further information
The first phase of the project ran from 1 September 2019 to 31 December 2021 with funding of €100,000. The project focused on the realisation that young girls need to be encouraged to take a greater interest in computer science. Five tailor-made teaching and learning units for 12-year-old girls were therefore developed based on scientific data.
Project phase 2: Virtual settings as a new opportunity
The second project phase will run from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2024 with funding of €210,000. As online formats become increasingly important, online courses are being developed in collaboration with the Institute for School Pedagogy and Didactics (ISD) at KIT and KASTEL, the Institute for Information Security and Reliability at KIT. The aim is to supplement the curriculum with interdisciplinary, gender-equitable digital settings. This should improve girls' attitudes towards computer science and increase their interest in it.
Facts & Figures
1 September 2019 – 31 December 2024
Total funding:
€310,000 Euro
Funding body:
Vector Foundation, Stuttgart
Project responsibility at KIT:
Dr.-Ing. Lucia Happe und Jun.-Prof. Dr. Ingo Wagner, Institute for School Pedagogy and Didactics (ISD)
‘By working in an interdisciplinary manner, we enrich learning and create diverse approaches to the world of computer science. As a result, it becomes accessible to everyone – especially girls! This fusion of knowledge sparks innovation and prepares students to master the ever-changing challenges of future workplaces.’
Dr.-Ing. Lucia Happe
- Project manager -
In cooperation with KIT Foundation
