Hackergal and Shaw Communications partner to expand National Hackathon program

TORONTO — On Mar. 8, Hackergal announced the launch of a new Student Ambassador program in Western Canada and the expansion of its National Hackathon program, both designed to raise awareness and generate enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and computer science education among girls in grades six-through-nine across the country.

With support from Shaw Communications Inc., the Western Canadian Student Ambassador program will build on Hackergal’s existing network by providing girls with ongoing training workshops, industry connections, internships and scholarship opportunities. Through these activities, Hackergal will pave the way for a more diverse and equitable future in STEM-related industries and organizations.

“The Student Ambassador Program is a community for like-minded girls to be inspired, supported, and connected to industry experts and opportunities as they pursue technology-related studies,” said Lucy Ho, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Hackergal. “These Ambassadors are Canada’s change-makers, storytellers, and future leaders, and we are excited to partner with Shaw to launch this program in Western Canada to support the growing number of girls who wish to further their STEM and computer science education.”

Hackergal was founded with the mission to help bridge the gender gap in technology and computer science fields by introducing female students to code through their Hackathon programs – inspiring and empowering girls to later pursue careers in STEM. Since 2015, over 20,000 girls have been exposed to computer science education through Hackergal’s programs.

As a regional partner, Shaw will also support Hackergal’s national all-girls Hackathon. Hackergal will expand programming to support girls in Western Canada with the goal to provide coding education to more than 3,000 girls over the next two years.

“By providing interesting and engaging material through their Hackathons and Student Ambassador program, Hackergal is inspiring young girls across Canada to pursue careers in science and technology – helping to make the gender gap in these fields a thing of the past,” said Chethan Lakshman, Vice President, External Affairs, Shaw Communications. “Through our partnership, we are excited to help Hackergal expand their programming to educate and inspire young women to feel empowered, to dream big, and challenge the status quo.”