KUCHING, 23 NOVEMBER 2024 – The 4th Girlscode Challenge 2024 National Final held today at Tegas Digital Village celebrated the achievements of young female innovators and inspiring the next generation of tech leaders.
Girlscode is a competition jointly organised by Realfun Learning Centre and Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC). This year, 666 talented young women from across Malaysia participated in the competition where six teams from the Junior and Senior categories respectively, were selected to showcase their innovative projects in the final round.
Chief Executive Officer of SDEC Dato Ir. Ts. Sudarnoto Osman emphasized the importance of empowering young women in STEM fields.
“Girlscode is more than just a coding competition. It’s a platform for young women to explore their creativity, problem-solving skills, and entrepreneurial spirit. By providing the resources, mentorship, and a supportive environment such as targetted programmes, skill-building workshop sessions, and competitions such as Girlscode, SDEC aims to nurture the next generation of female technopreneurs who will excel in the rapidly evolving tech industry,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Sarawak (MEITD) YB Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn congratulated the finalists and highlighted the significance of technological advancements in addressing global challenges.
“The young women who participated in Girlscode have demonstrated exceptional talent and potential. Their innovative solutions have the power to shape the future. By harnessing their creativity and technical skills, these future leaders are not only breaking barriers in the tech industry but also inspiring the next generation of girls to pursue STEM careers,” he commented.
In the Junior category, Team Fusion Angels (Wellness Companion) from SJKC Chung Hua Krokop, Miri emerged as champions, while Team Lanchang Girls Rock (Parking Simulator) from SK Batu Lanchang, Georgetown and Team The Mulans (Save Me) from SJKC Chung Hua, Miri, won second and third place, respectively.
Meanwhile, under the Senior category, Team TPG (Ecoforce) from SMK Tinggi Kuching showcased exceptional talent to walk away with the championship title. The first runner-up and second runner-up titles went to Team FARDAY (FocusFuze) from Labuan International School and Team T.A.S.T (Periodpals) from SMK Tinggi Sarikei, respectively.
The event also celebrated the achievements of last year’s Girlscode champion Team Agape from SMK St. Anthony Sarikei, who represented Asia at the Technovation World Summit in Santa Clara, California, USA. At the summit, the team added another feather in their cap when they won the Technology Award in the Senior Division for their AI-powered tool that creates a supportive and inclusive learning environment for special needs students. SDEC and Realfun Learning Centre look forward to building upon this success and inspiring even greater participation in the years to come.
Girlscode is a virtual mobile app challenge open to female students only. The competition develops pre-teens and teens skills in Design Thinking, Coding, Entrepreneurship, and Pitching with the objective to empower them to take actions and solve community problems.