Keynote – Fashion, Tech and a Real World Problem

A keynote from Rebecca Schmidt CO-CEO of Give Your Best UK then followed.  Rebecca detailed how a real world problem was solved by Give Your Best UK, which started on Instagram during the pandemic and is still going.  Supporting refugee women and children with clothing.  Her opening line stayed with me, and I encourage you to reflect on this – “How many of us are able to choose what we wear every day?”

Talks and Activities to Inspire

Following with the theme of the day, Inspire, Discover and Empower, the girls enjoyed workshops as follows:

• Dr Raj Iyer – cofounder and CEO of sAInaptic, an AI company that automates the marking, measurement and personalisation of assessments, beyond multiple choice questions across the education sector.  Dr Raj led a session on bio-engineering and tech in healthcare along with insights from her tech journey, from her ambitions to be a medical doctor, her background in data science through to transitioning into a new space and leading an AI company. Insightful as no career path is straightforward and squiggly career paths should be embraced. Find out more about tools for teachers from sAInaptic here

• Tech She Can – a national charity were also in attendance, with robotics workshops and also showing the world of AR through virtual try ons, such as You Cam Nails and Wanna Kicks. The result, another group of highly engaged pupils.  To find out more about the work of Tech She Can to #ChangetheRatio through works such as live lessons, live assemblies and their manifesto, head to their website.

• Simply Health – a company dedicated to providing health plans for affordable healthcare access.  The speakers shared how they used tech in their roles such as in content management systems, design tools, analytics software and opportunities that arise in organisations and how to capitalise on these. 

• Itp101 – popping into this workshop, I was able to see pupils interacting with the human heart, using a stylus to bring it out of the screen into their hands and also to feel the pulse.  Also looking at the world of architecture and 3D in the building industry.  All possible through AR.  ITP101, offer many interactive experiences such as Agriculture and Food, Health Sciences, Skilled Trades and Transportation.  Find out more here

Personal Reflection

One thing I really enjoyed during the day, was reflecting upon my own teenage years, when I would head to Boots or Superdrug, with my best friend to try on makeup at the weekend.  Young people no longer do this in the same way.

It was relatively recent that one of my daughters introduced me to virtual try on and I became a convert.  What I am showing here, is that decades ago, virtual try on was not a thing, now it is.  Another example, of tech being used for another purpose, this time through AR.  I do find myself wondering with excitement, what was sparked in the minds of the young ladies who attended the event.

Technology Books for Children

But there is more to tech!  As the founder of Technology Books for Children, a charity on a mission to foster Reading for Pleasure on tech topics, I spoke with the librarian and headteacher around the work they are doing with tech books.  It was pleasing to see a selection of books and magazines which the girls can borrow to enjoy tech for pleasure.