A competition to find future female tech stars has awarded its latest set of prizes for ideas on how technology can be used to improve schools and education.
Girls aged 16-18 from across England were invited to submit their ideas as part of the TechGirl 2023 competition, its second annual award series. They were encouraged to think critically about their own school experience to identify an important challenge facing the education system, and to think creatively about how technology can be used to solve that problem.
The competition, which was run by business community HotTopics, was won by ten girls, who will receive ongoing mentorship from industry leaders and were presented with an award at a ceremony in London on Tuesday.
Ideas included the use of technologies like holograms to make complex diagrams more accessible, pods designed specifically for neuro-divergent children, and advancements in mental health and sustainability technologies demonstrate the vast potential of the tech industry in improving education outcomes.
Matilda, one of the prize-winners, came up with the idea for headphones which use voice recognition to identify and filter the voice of the teacher in a classrom, for those with autism and ADHD who suffer from auditory hypersensitivity.
Another winner, neha Adapala, collected an award for her idea of using brain computing technology to measure students’ attention spans in order to adapt learning styles and techniques to suit their needs.
“It feels great,” she said. “With this win I feel more confident to be able to go out in the world and change it for the better with my interest in technology.”
Wayne Ellis, Marketing Director at Hot Topic, said: “It’s truly inspiring to see the creativity and forward-thinking vision represented by this year’s entries.
“The TechGirl award is incredibly important. by giving winners access to women tech leaders who have paved the way, you are not only celebrating and rewarding innovation, but also promoting mentorship, empowerment, and inclusivity. This can certainly help break down barriers and inspire more women to pursue and thrive in tech leadership roles.”
Full list of tech girl winners 2023
Name |
Mentor |
Role |
|
1 |
Summer Stanton |
Anna Barsby |
Group chief product and technology officer, 888 Holdings |
2 |
Matilda Fry |
Jacqui Lipinski |
Chief information officer and director of digital, Royal College of Art |
3 |
Kavya Jethmalani |
Belinda Finch |
Chief information officer, Three |
4 |
Ogheneyoma Oghoro |
Alison Davis |
Managing Partner, Blockchain Coinvestors |
5 |
Rose Gowen |
Christina Scott |
Chief technology officer, Ovo Energy |
6 |
Neha Adapala |
Marie Orpen |
Chief digital officer, The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association |
7 |
Yu Syuan Tang |
Georgina Owens |
Chief technology officer, William Hill |
8 |
Audrey Lam |
Deborah Haworth |
Chief information security officer, Penguin Random House |
9 |
Isabelle Simms |
Charlotte Baldwin |
Chief information officer, Costa Coffee |
10 |
Lola Williams |
Joanna Drake |
Chief information officer, The Hut Group |
