TGM is a non-profit organisation promoting positive female information technology role models, to encourage and raise awareness of technology careers options for girls. This organisation was founded Jenine Beekhuyzen. I saw Jenine deliver a key note at the EdTech SA conference and witnessed how committed and enthusiastic she is about the program.

The program is based on an inspiring book which shows different personalities of women who work in the information technology industry. The characters include: Artify, Swiss, Pi, Index and Flashdrive. The book is free for every Australian girl to order, and for Australian schools, you can order bulk copies of the book, as long as you pay for the postage. I ordered 30 books for $24 and I plan on integrating aspects of the book across STEM subjects.

From my understanding of the program, it is for Australian and New Zealand teachers. You can join for a small cost, select a group of students and take on a 12 week (I am not 100% sure) challenge, which basically involves students working as a small team, finding a problem and developing a solution through the creation of an app. Below is an example of the ‘Reading Republic’ team who recently won a challenge.

I love the idea of the program, however I am currently beginning to establish a new student initiative at my school for our students. Why not give it a go or if not, integrate the book within your curriculum. The stories are awesome.