Moments before launching our 10,000 Girls4Girls Coding⁺ (G4G Coding⁺) program – a look back at our pilot JYCGIF Summer Camp 2021!
This summer, we held a future ready leadership camp to soft launch G4G Coding⁺, our global community outreach initiative empowering teen girls with future digital literacies through the “train the trainer” model.
Girls in G4G Coding⁺ programs learn coding and other programming languages of the future, enjoy mentoring and networking opportunities, and develop vital leadership skills. They feel equipped and motivated to volunteer to train other girls in their community to program, set goals, problem solve – and become future ready leaders!
Through G4G Coding⁺, we aim to inspire, equip and ultimately empower 10,000 teens girls in the coming few years to approach every possible career path as future ready leaders.
JYCGIF’s first Summer Camp for future ready leaders kicked off last week! Our pilot 10,000 Girls4Girls Coding event, the 2021 Camp empowered teen girls from Po Leung Kuk schools through coding training, leadership development and sports to rise to any challenge – and enter the future as digital leaders!
On Opening Day, students received a crash course in leadership, hearing firsthand from women trailblazers in education, philanthropy, finance and sports! Our heartfelt thanks to Helena Pong, Vice Chairman of Po Leung Kuk; Rachel Chan, Co-Founder of Esperanza; Grace Yu of Credit Suisse, and HK tennis pro Ling Zhang, Inspiring HK, for inspiring a can-do spirit in teen girls!
“Leadership is not an innate quality. We all need to step out of our comfort zone to grow!” Helena Pong, Po Leung Kuk Vice Chairman, told students.
Opening Speech by Mrs. Jennifer Yu Cheng, Founder of JYCGIF
Panel Disucssion: Everyone can be a Future Ready Leader!
Leadership Training Workshop
The engine driving our Camp was a 10-hour gamified coding class! Led by Esperanza x CoderZ teachers and teaching assistants, the class introduced students to a world of coding – the basic literacy of the digital age. A prerequisite for jobs of the future, coding improves computational, communication, and problem-solving skills while fostering creativity and self-confidence.
Girls4Girls Coding
Coding Partners: Esperanza & CoderZ
“In medicine, law, and the physical sciences, there are far more women in those fields today globally. But computer science is a different story,” said Jeanne Cheng, Teaching Assistant in the Coding Workshop. “Women with jobs in that field represent a tiny minority, with numbers declining. We need to change that, and teaching coding is an important first step.”
During Camp, teen girls also heard the success stories of young entrepreneurs who learned early on never to take no for an answer and to build the self-confidence, determination, and grit—in addition to hard skills – fundamental to business. At the Corporate Workshop facilitated by Alibaba, Debbie Lau and Kyle Kok, Co-Founders of Lecopt Technology Limited, and Vicky Wong and Hoffman Chau, of the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, emphasized five important business skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics.
Corporate workshop delivered by Alibaba
Q&A with Alibaba
Ms. LeAnne Wong & Ms. Angela Shing from Citibank Hong Kong: Data Analytics, Digital Sales and Marketing
Ms. Rhaime Kim from Rice Robotics: Coding and Future Ready Leadership
“Entrepreneurship is a mindset – anyone can adopt it!” said Debbie Lau, Lecopt Technology Limited, Speaker at the Alibaba Corporate Workshop. “We need to nurture this mindset in teen girls: to teach them not only financial skills but to see themselves as entrepreneurs and leaders at a young age.”
Thanks to Inspiring HK, Campers also engaged in a wide variety of sports and fitness activities, including dodgebee, yoga, k-pop dancing, thai boxing and more! They left feeling pumped – ready to take on any challenge: in the classroom, in the field, and in life!
Ms. Heidi Foo from InspiringHK: Fly High with TechKnowHow
Sports Lessons
The pilot program of JYCGIF’s 10,000 Girls4Girls Coding initiative, the Summer Camp was built on the “train the trainer” model, whereby girls receive coding training and then feel empowered to volunteer to train girls in their community to code, too. We look forward to hearing from our Campers as they pass on their coding training to their peers and to other girls in their communities! We can’t wait to unveil our next 10,000 Girls4Girls Coding experience! Stay tuned for more details.
“Leadership means dreaming big, leading from the heart, being the first to take the blame yet most ready to share success,” Catherine Leung, co-founder and partner at MizMaa Ventures, told students at a special JYC Girls Impact Foundation School Talk: “Inspirational Life and Leadership Lessons: Empowering Youth for the Future” held at St. Paul’s School (Lam Tin) on June 29th.
In a lively discussion with JYCGIF Founder Jennifer Yu Cheng, Catherine explored experiences in high school that helped shape her personality, major events that motivated her to make career moves, and the real traits that make for strong, charismatic leaders.
Thank you, Catherine, for shining a bright light for future generations of women leaders!
“I was really inspired by Catherine suggesting that we should always try new things and not be afraid to fail,” said Yoyo Chan, Form 5 at St. Paul’s School. “In the past, I was quite timid and had the sense of being afraid to lose, and I could not truly open myself up and embrace new challenges ahead of me. Catherine’s story really encouraged me to manifest my talents and be brave enough to take initiative. I particularly remembered that she kept in mind that the cup of water she was holding was ‘half full’ rather than ‘half empty’, which reminds me to never lose faith in myself and be proactive all the time to refill the cup of water that I am holding. Very inspirational!”
“In the past, I always thought that learning something that was not related to my ultimate goal was a waste of time,” said Bridgit Lee, Form 5 at St. Paul’s School. “However, after listening to the experiences of both Catherine and Jennifer, I know that everything we learn may help us one day when we approach new opportunities. This talk helped changed my mindset, and I will now treasure every chance I have to learn something new!”
Huge thanks to our bright and brilliant JYC Girls Impact Youth Board for sharing their stories in #𝐓𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬! You have no idea how many teens you empowered through your dreams and aspirations for the future. We are just getting started! Interested in joining the JYC Girls Impact Foundation Youth Board? Drop a comment here, send us a message or head over to https://www.jycgirlsimpact.org/ to join today!
Growing up in a small town in India, 2021 JYC Girls Impact Youth Board Member @imtanya338 dreamed of moving abroad, expanding her horizons, and experiencing life in the big city.
“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗶𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱!” says 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗮 𝗔𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗹. Fast forward, Tanya has visited 20 countries, graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a degree in Wealth Management, and currently works in venture capital.
Tanya, passionate about working at the intersection of finance and technology, wants girls everywhere to know they can do anything they set their minds to.
Thanks, Tanya, for being a voice of hope and inspiration for girls everywhere!
Interested in joining the JYC Girls Impact Foundation Youth Board? Drop a comment here, send us a message or head over to https://www.jycgirlsimpact.org/ to join today!
Between building a platform to help under-resourced NGOs to competing in squash to excelling academically, @tatianazhangg, is busy fulfilling her potential to the max!
Tatiana, a year 11 student from HK, believes in bridging the gap between STEM and the humanities for everyone’s benefit. She hopes to lead the way one day!
Thanks, Tatiana, for sharing your unique voice and for inspiring other girls to share their stories!
Thanks, Tatiana, for sharing your unique voice and for inspiring other girls to share their stories!
Interested in joining the JYC Girls Impact Foundation Youth Board? Drop a comment here, send us a message or head over to https://www.jycgirlsimpact.org/ to join today!
#𝐓𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 STEM-sation @aileen_baiii is bucking gender stereotypes!
A year 12 student from Hong Kong and proud member of our Youth Board, Aileen Bai Yang says she relishes physics and chemistry and dreams of pursuing a STEM career, perhaps as a physics professor.
We believe in you, Aileen – and we know you can do it! Thank you for being a member of our Youth Board and helping to empower other girls through your story!
Interested in joining the JYC Girls Impact Foundation Youth Board? Drop a comment here, send us a message or head over to https://www.jycgirlsimpact.org/ to join today!
𝗗𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝗻 was often told that being good at sports would lead her nowhere. Fast forward, Daisy was selected as a member of the Hong Kong Rhythmic Gymnastics Team and went on to represent Hong Kong internationally!
Daisy, now pursuing a degree in Physical Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, believes in the power of sports to help girls, particularly from under-resourced communities, stand out. Thanks, Daisy, for being a vital member of the JYC Girls Impact Youth Board!
Interested in joining our Youth Board? Drop a comment here, send us a message or head over to https://www.jycgirlsimpact.org/ to join today!
Shannon once dreamed of being a pilot! She chose to study law after not meeting a minimum height requirement. Today she hopes to help people navigate their dreams and reach their goals! We are so inspired by Shannon’s go-getter spirit – we would fly with her any day!
A 2020-2021 JYCGIF Youth Board Member, 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘂 is a law student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Interested in joining the JYCGIF Youth Board? Drop a comment here, send us a message or head over to https://www.jycgirlsimpact.org/ to join today!
a 2020-2021 JYCGIF Youth Board Member and medical student at the University of Hong Kong.
Mandy believes in holistic well being and in medical students’ mental and emotional health!
You can find her café-hopping across Hong Kong any day of the week! Thanks Mandy for contributing your ideas, hopes and aspirations to our Youth Board!
