The annual GSMA Girls’ Day was celebrated this year by inviting schoolgirls to Telefonica’s start-up accelerator in London, where they were given the chance to work on their own virtual reality (VR) experience.
The girls were aged between 12-13 and studied at The Bridge Academy. Along with creating a new VR experience, the girls were also given talks from industry figures who spoke of the opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. The girls spoke with young entrepreneurs from Acorn Aspirations, along with industry professionals from companies such as GSMA, Google and Samsung.
“We are thrilled to again be participating in the ITU’s Girls in ICT Day,” said Michel O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “Mobile technology has become central in the everyday lives of billions of people around the world and this will only increase in the years ahead, as nearly everyone and everything is connected by mobile. We want to ensure that young women are preparing themselves to take a leading role in this mobile-first future, by focusing on STEM subjects in their education and then pursuing and advancing in careers in technology.”
Ada Rose Edwards of Samsung led the group in creating a VR experience, allowing the girls to get experience with basic programming and editing a VR environment using a Google Cardboard headset, smartphones and laptops. Later, they were given an immersive virtual tour from Google Expeditions.
London was not the only location where Girls Day events were taking place. GSMA also hosted a group of girls at the Mobile world Centre in Barcelona. Therese Jamaa, General Manager, Mobile World Capital, GSMA had this to say: “Following on the Women for Tech programme and the Youth Mobile Festival, both launched at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Girls in ICT Day offers another opportunity for us to highlight the importance of technology in education and careers for young women in Barcelona. We also want to help young women understand the breadth of careers available to them in the technology industry, from engineering and technical roles, to marketing and sales, and more. The possibilities are endless!”
VRFocus will continue to bring you news of VR projects for young people.