The different thematic variations across the country
The gender gap in STEM disciplines continues to be one of the main global challenges. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2025, it will take 123 years to completely close the gap between men and women. Italy, despite showing slight improvement, still ranks 85th out of 148 countries, last among the major European economies. It is in this context that Coding Girls, the programme promoted by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale since 2014 to guide young women towards careers in science and technology, is evolving. Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, the initiative will become Coding Girls & Women, broadening its vision and impact. Thanks to the contribution of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies (Notice 2/2024), the project is transforming into a lifelong educational partnership, involving not only schoolgirls, but also university students, PhD students, researchers and women in vulnerable situations. The aim is to build an ecosystem capable of supporting women in the development of digital, scientific and transversal skills, promoting access to and retention in the world of STEM.
Training curves and strategic partners
At the heart of Coding Girls & Women are the training curves, designed to respond to the specificities of different territories and changes in the world of work. In Lombardy and Campania, in synergy with Coding Girls Power Up, the programme addresses key issues such as artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity and automotive safety, thanks to the collaboration with the Micron Foundation, the Politecnico di Milano and the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, involving secondary schools.
In Piedmont, and in particular in the Turin area, the Ask&Hack course integrates coding with Diversity & Inclusion, also involving young people with visual impairments. The programme is the result of collaboration with Sys-Tek, Cna Torino and the Buio in pista association and is aimed at secondary schools.
In Lazio, in Rome and its province, there is a programme dedicated to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, developed together with Roma Capitale and aimed at secondary schools. This is accompanied by a broader programme on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and communication, which takes on an interregional dimension and involves numerous areas, including Turin, Trieste, Modena, Rome, Salerno, Rende and Cagliari. The project is carried out with the contribution of the Universities of Trieste, Modena and Reggio Emilia, Sapienza University of Rome, University of Salerno and University of Calabria, and is aimed at secondary schools.
In Campania, in the Caserta area, a specific programme on data science is being developed with the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, involving lower and upper secondary schools.
In Tuscany, in Siena, the project is also open to primary schools, with a course on artificial intelligence and programming developed in collaboration with the University of Siena and the Siena Artificial Intelligence Network, which introduces digital skills from the early years of school.
Particular attention is also paid to the ethical issues of innovation. The Coding, AI & Bias programme, curated by the University of Milan-Bicocca, addresses the issue of bias in algorithms and is active in Lombardy, Lazio, Calabria and Puglia, involving secondary schools in cities such as Milan, Rome, Reggio Calabria, Taranto, Lecce and Bari.
A particularly complex model has been developed in Sicily, where the University of Palermo has created a range of specialisations that are highly differentiated by school level. In primary school, courses range from the first steps in programming to the Think-Make-Improve methodology applied to geometry with 3D printing, to inquiry-based approaches to physics and the use of augmented reality for STEM learning. For secondary school, activities include modules on coding with Arduino, data analysis, chatbot development, statistical and probability paradoxes, applications of augmented reality to chemistry, and interdisciplinary courses such as Code & Rock, dedicated to Earth sciences.
The courses are developed with the involvement of numerous university departments, from mathematics and engineering to economics, chemistry, biology and environmental sciences.
The training activities culminate in a national tour, now in its twelfth edition, which travels across the country with 12 stops.
Final events and local hackathons are opportunities to showcase and promote the work carried out, with key events in Salerno and Palermo, along with many other cities involved.
