The Summer IT school for high school girls has the power to change lives, and this year, we are organizing two of them: one in Prague and one in Brno.
Summer is approaching, along with the traditional Summer IT School for high school girls. We have been organizing the IT summer school since 2015, and over 400 students (some of whom have attended more than one summer school) have participated in this intensive exploration of the IT world with us. So, where are the Summer School graduates now? That's the question we asked them in a survey.
What is the IT Summer School?
The IT Summer School aims to show girls aged 15-19 that IT is more than just programming. We introduce them to technology in a different way than a computer science class, providing playful and hands-on training with a program designed specifically for girls. In just one week, they can discover their passions, whether it's graphics or web apps. It could be a new hobby or a potential career path after high school.
What have the graduates accomplished?
We sent the survey to the girls who graduated from 2015-2021, and we received 100 responses. Respondents were allowed to choose multiple answers for most questions, so the percentages may not add up to 100.
According to the survey, 81% of female graduates continued to develop their acquired knowledge and skills in IT after attending the summer school, whether through university, self-study, part-time work, or activities within the Czechitas community. Of the girls, 37% pursued a technical focus in university after high school. It should be noted that 12% of them are already working in IT, despite still being in high school.
Which topics did the girls focus on the most after the summer school? Graphics, programming, and web design.
Correct direction and boosted self-esteem
The most frequently cited benefits included meeting other girls interested in IT through the IT summer school, confirming their interest in the field, and guiding them towards further studies. For almost half of them, their self-confidence increased as a result.
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"I gained a basic understanding of how IT works, including coding, programming, back-end, front-end, and the number of people required to create a website, among other things. It broadened my horizons tremendously, and I can now navigate today's world, where everything is IT-related, much better". Graduate of the IT Summer School
Summer school as an entry into the world of IT
The summer school is not only for girls who are already interested in the world of computers. It's also for those who are curious about IT and want to explore its meaning, for those who recognize the potential usefulness of IT skills in the future, and for those who want to spend a week of their holidays with like-minded girls, trying something new. Together, we are breaking the stereotype that IT is exclusively for boys.
This year, we are planning two Summer Schools, one in Prague and one in Brno. Over the course of one week, we will explore the world of IT with a group of enthusiastic girls and great lecturers from Czechitas. High school girls need not worry about not understanding something; we will show them that IT can be entertaining, and only a part of the day will be spent behind the computer!
What we will learn:
- Create a personal website using HTML and CSS
- Edit photos, work with vector curves, and create graphics posts
- Understand basic programming concepts
- Make web pages run using JavaScript
- Program a game on a web page using JavaScript
- Combine all of this into a custom project
In addition to learning about IT during the day, participants of the Brno summer school can look forward to excursions to IT companies in Brno, barbecues, a summer cinema at Špilberk Castle, or a picnic in the park. During the Prague summer school, we can also expect excursions to partner companies, a summer cinema, a picnic, or even a laser game.
