The Globe and Mail - 24.10.2019

Preparingyoung

womentomakea

differencesince

A Havergal student doesn’t face her future alone.

She’s backed by a community of peers, faculty

and alumnae that are her champions for life.

Apply by December 3, 2019. Scholarships and

bursaries available. Visithavergal.on.cato

learn more.

Shebuildsherdream.

Webuildherteam.

PHOT O: S

RIRIR

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DAND

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EGEEGEEGE

Colleges and institutes:

collegesinstitutes.ca

Wheretechnology

givesarta new

dimension

SE 2 • SPONSORCONTENT THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2 4 ,

HAVERGALCOLLEGE

HAVERGAL’S STUDENTS HAVE ANAPP FOR THAT

Collaboration and managing a project from concept to completion are important skills

Buildingan app – one of the
computer science class projectsat
HavergalCollege, an independent
school for girls in Toronto, Ontario

• requires more than just the
  necessary technical skills to develop
  a software application.Asuccessful
  project involvesteamwork and
  working with membersofthe
  school community to develop
  an original idea to create a more
  comprehensive app that also reflects
  the students’own sense of style.
  “The app project is designed
  to consolidate Grade 12 students’
  understanding of what they have
  learned during the year, but having
  previouslyworked on projects
  for themselves, now they are

working for someoneelse,” says

technological education teacher

KyleCardinale.

The experience is a reminder

that collaborating with others and

managing a project from concept to

completion are necessary skillsfor

students consideringcareers in the

tech industry.

The app project is just one

example of the school’s STEM

(science, technology, engineering,

math) initiatives that allow students

to showcase their tech knowledge.

Students also use their design skills

to create components such as a user

interface and to prepare marketing

materials to advertise the product.

The project is part of the school’s

curriculum designedto prepare

students for university and potential

STEM-related careers. The apps

ranged from schedulingfor club

events and attendance, to managing

the logistics of school assemblies.

“The focus on gender in STEM

• and the future careers of the
  girls – motivates me to build upon
  the program and make it even
  stronger,” says Mr.Cardinale,
  adding that an increasing numberof
  Havergal students are interested in
  careers involving engineering,the
  sciences and technology.
  “It’s our jobto give them the
  confidence and exposure to skills
  such as coding so that they know
  they can do it – they believe in

themselves,” hesays.

Part of this process involves

opportunitieslike hackathons where

students from different grades and

otherConference of Independent

Schools collaborate with each other

to learn aboutcoding. Students also

are given the opportunityto join the

Robotics team, learn how to operate

a3Dprinter and film stop-motion

animations for both curricular and

co-curricularapplications.

Meanwhile, Havergal’scomputer

science students will have plenty

to celebrate in the next academic

school year when new facilities,

including an art andtech wing and

a Makerspace, will enhance the

school’s STEM program.

It’s our job to give

them the confidence

and exposure

to skills such as

coding so that they

know they can do

it – they believe in

themselves.

KyleCardinale

technologicaleducation teacher

at HavergalCollege

Aboveleft:StudentslearninghowtodevelopasoftwareapplicationinHavergal’scomputerscienceclass;aboveright:Havergalstudentsdevelopingappsfortheircomputerscienceclassproject.SUPPLIED

TheresaMcCurry,CEOofASTTBC,

saysB.C.needsaculturalshift

toreachourgoaltoincrease

thenumberofwomeninthe

engineeringandappliedscience

workforceto30percentwithinthe

nextdecade.SUPPLIED

B.C.TAKES ACTIONTOBOOSTTECH WORKER DIVERSITY

Anew initiative inBritishColumbia

aims to increase the numberof

under-represented groups including

women, Indigenous peoples, immi-

grants and people with disabilities

in the province’s growing applied

science, technology and engineer-

ing sectors.

Announced earlier this year by

theB.C. government, which is

providing funding of up to $2.2-mil-

lion over two years, the program

aims to break down barriers by

identifying common issues in

the recruitment and retention of

women through pilot projects, such

as mentorshipfor employees and

resources and trainingfor employ-

ers.

A2017 report by HR Tech Group,

an association of human resources

professionals employed inB.C.tech

companies, projected a talent short-

fall in the tech sector and low levels

of diversity andrepresentation from

key groups.

The pilot projects will be man-

aged byApplied Science Technolo-

gists and Technicians ofBC(ASTTBC)

and HR Tech Group. They will look

at how best to attract, retain and

support career advancementof

equity-seekinggroups inB.C.’s

technology workforce.

Theresa McCurry,CEOofASTTBC,

says collaboration with industry

organizations, employers, school

districts, post-secondary institutions

and high schools is essentialto

increase the recruitment, retention

and advancementof women in the

applied science technologysector.

“Women are making stridesto in-

crease their representation in STEM

fields but still make up only about

15 per cent of engineers and applied

scientists,” she says. “We need a

cultural shift to reach our goal to

increase the number of women in

the engineering and applied science

workforce to 30 per cent within the

next decade.”

Stephanie Hollingshead,CEO, HR

Tech Group, says she anticipates

that the project will have a tangible

and immediate impact on the indus-

try and onB.C.’s economy.

“There is a strong willingness in

our sector to improve diversity and

inclusionpractices, but the major-

ity of tech organizations in our

province are small and mid-sized,

and they simply do not have the

resources to do the work required,”

she says.