KINGSTON, Jamaica — eLearning Jamaica Company Limited (e-LJAM) has partnered with local educational technology company, STEAMHouse, to host this year’s Crea+her Girls in ICT Hackathon, which began on April 11 and will end on April 16.

According to a news release, the virtual hackathon seeks to empower Caribbean girls aged 13 to 18 years to become leaders and accomplished professionals in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) industry.

Chief Executive Officer of e-LJAM, Andrew Lee, said the initiative allows participants to acquire skills through a hands-on approach.

“It is imperative that we actively engage girls to participate in STEM. Historically, girls have been under-represented in this field and, of course, this deprives us of diversity. Our females are extremely talented and when we include them, we get a broader perspective,” Lee said.

e-LJAM is the State agency with responsibility for promoting integration and infusion of technology in the public education system.

Founder of STEAMHouse, Godiva Golding, said that approximately 15 teams representing groups of three to five students signed up for the hackathon.

Story by: Jamaica Gleaner