Suche
Mein Konto
Computer science for girls: PIONIERIN project starts nationwide!
The PIONIERIN project at the University of Bamberg inspires students with computer science. Workshops on AI and digital fabrication are starting soon.
Computer science for girls: PIONIERIN project starts nationwide!
The nationwide PIONIERIN project will start on August 12, 2025, which was designed to inspire young women from high school to study computer science. The universities of Bamberg, Hildesheim, Kassel and Koblenz are participating in this initiative, the overall coordination of which is carried out by Prof. Dr. Nadine Dittert from the University of Koblenz is located. The opening event lasted three days and was funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
Over 20 workshops and camps for schoolgirls are planned over the next three years. A particular focus is on digital fabrication workshops, where participants can apply technologies such as 3D printing and microcontrollers. The aim of these activities is to develop everyday projects, including environmental monitoring systems and applications using artificial intelligence.
Diversity and Inclusion in Computer Science
The project is intended to help break down clichés and stereotypes in computer science studies and to convey a diverse picture of the discipline. The intersectional approach appeals to women from different social and cultural backgrounds. The support measures are designed to make it easier to access studies and to make the course of study more inclusive.
The University of Bamberg contributes its expertise in the field of artificial intelligence, which enriches the offerings. Prof. Dr. Ute Schmid emphasizes how important practical experience is to strengthen the participants' self-confidence. The workshops also mutate into Open Educational Resources (OER) that can be used in schools and universities.
Diverse activities and areas of expertise
The program offers a variety of activities designed to inspire students. Digital fabrication workshops and role model lectures are organized to introduce the girls to a wide range of IT careers. The working groups at the four universities focus on different topics:
- Koblenzer Arbeitsgruppe: Programmierung und Modellierung
- Bamberger Arbeitsgruppe: Künstliche Intelligenz
- Hildesheimer Arbeitsgruppe: Umweltinformatik
A first workshop will take place from September 10th to 12th at the MINT Center Hirschaid. The “AI Summer School 4 Girls” is also offered for students and young women aged 17 and over, with the focus on the topics of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
The PIONIERIN project is part of a broader movement that aims to increase the proportion of women in MINT professions in the long term. Similar projects such as the Ada Lovelace Project and Girls' Day have been supporting girls and young women for many years in order to make careers in these areas more accessible. These initiatives enable students and young women to act as mentors for female students, paving the way for the next generation.
The University of Hildesheim will deal with the development of learning opportunities for environmental informatics, while the University of Kassel will provide empirical support for the concepts and measures. Each of these programs plays a key role in adapting educational offerings to the needs of young women and their challenges in studying computer science.
The diverse offerings of the PIONIERIN project show that it is not just about giving women a voice, but also actively giving them the opportunities they need to establish themselves in the world of IT.