Girls Go Big: A STEM Adventure | A First Encounter with Technology

The Taiwan Women in Science and Technology Association (TWiST) and the Department of Women and Children Development of the Taoyuan City Government jointly organized the second session of Girls Go Big: A STEM Adventure, focusing on technology and introductory programming. Combining experience-sharing by female university students with hands-on Python activities, the program gave young women aged 15–20 an opportunity to explore the world of STEM. From academic planning to interactive game development, the course integrated theory and practice, helping participants take their first steps into technology and recognize their own potential.

A First Encounter with Technology: The Second Girls Go Big STEM Adventure

The second session of Girls Go Big: A STEM Adventure centered on “T for Technology,” with an emphasis on cultivating future women in technology and introducing young people to science. The event attracted enthusiastic participation from young women aged 15–20.

Beginning with the personal stories of female university students and continuing with hands-on activities, the program offered an inspiring and creative journey into technology. Through its combination of role-model sharing and introductory programming, participants gained their first experience with information technology in a supportive and collaborative learning environment, laying an important foundation for future academic and career exploration.

Student Mentors Share Their Journeys in Technology

The morning session featured two female computer science students from the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Maker Club, who offered an honest and engaging look at what it is like to pursue technology.

Topic One: Finding Your Own Path

The speakers discussed the uncertainty they experienced in high school and explained how participating in English debate, information technology competitions, and the TechGirls Program in the United States helped them gradually discover their passion for technology and develop a stronger sense of identity.

Topic Two: High School Studies and Computer Science

They also shared strategies for balancing academics, extracurricular activities, and university preparation. By introducing different university admission pathways, including individual applications and special talent admission, they encouraged participants to recognize the many possibilities available to them.

During the anonymous question-and-answer session, students asked questions such as, “How did you know computer science was right for you?” and “Can I learn programming without any previous experience?” Their questions reflected a genuine curiosity about technology and related careers.

Hands-On Learning: Beginner-Friendly Game Development with Pygame

The afternoon session moved into hands-on programming. Guided by members of the Maker Club, participants were introduced to the Python programming language.

The course progressed from fundamental concepts—including variables, conditional statements, loops, input, and output—to designing interactive games with Pygame. Although most participants were programming for the first time, they successfully created games featuring character movement, item collection, and obstacle avoidance with support from the teaching assistants.

After completing the activity, one participant shared: “I used to think programming was far beyond my reach. I never expected that I could actually create a game!”

Discovering Technology—and Themselves

The technology session of Girls Go Big: A STEM Adventure was built around three elements: guidance from female university students, hands-on programming, and self-exploration. From sincere questions during the sharing session to moments of discovery in the programming workshop, each participant planted a seed of interest in technology.

This reflects TWiST’s longstanding commitment to gender equality and technology education: helping girls recognize that they have a place in technology and encouraging them to confidently create their own paths.

TWiST continues to promote STEM education for women by bringing together academic, community, and corporate resources to build an intergenerational and interdisciplinary support network. Through workshops, lectures, newsletters, podcasts, and other initiatives, the association cultivates future women in technology and supports them throughout their development.

Meaningful change does not come from a single event alone. It grows from every opportunity for a girl to be seen, encouraged, and believed in. TWiST will continue connecting government, schools, and businesses to create a more diverse technological future in which women do more than participate—they thrive.

The Next Adventure: Engineering and Mathematics

The third and fourth sessions of Girls Go Big: A STEM Adventure will focus on engineering and mathematics. Continuing the program’s combination of mentorship, hands-on learning, and self-exploration, these sessions welcome more girls to challenge themselves and broaden their horizons.

When a girl believes she can, she has already begun changing the world.

Photo courtesy of the Taoyuan City Northern District Women’s Center