The ‘Coding Girls & Women’ hackathon rewards talent and innovation
Yesterday, Thursday 7 May, the final stage of the Coding Girls & Women project hackathon took place in the Aula Magna of the Department of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”. The initiative, promoted by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS in collaboration with the university, saw secondary school students compete using data and programming to bridge the gender gap in STEM subjects.
The power of data: between statistics and creativity
Under the guidance of the university tutors from the Department, the young participants presented projects based on statistical analysis and the use of the R programming language. The experience was a true example of “digital humanism”, where technology ceased to be a mere school assignment to become a bridge to the future and a tool for giving voice to one’s ideas.
Luigi Rossetti, one of the trainers, emphasised that the aim was to “fire up the engines”, combining the hard skills of data science with the ability to ask the right questions to dismantle prejudices through data. Tutors Rossella Fucito and Ester Cannalonga highlighted the importance of making statistics concrete and accessible, helping the young people to step outside their comfort zones.
The winning projects
During the event, moderated by Ester Cannalonga and enriched by the pitches prepared under the supervision of Cecilia Stajano, community manager at Fondazione Mondo Digitale, the work of five teams from the Liceo Scientifico ‘Enrico Fermi’ (80 students) and the Liceo Scientifico ‘Armando Diaz’ (20 students) was showcased.
- Most innovative project: the 2bp team from Fermi High School with “Fast Food”, a statistical analysis of fast food.
- Most visionary project: the Quadra Magica team from Fermi High School (Parete campus) with a comparative study of Disney films.
- Most original project: the Diaz High School with ‘We are the data’, a project that transformed complex data into clear graphs through design thinking.
- Special mention: the 2asp team from the Fermi High School for their analysis of global water consumption from 2000 to the present day.
A winning synergy between school and university
The event confirmed how schools and universities can be hotbeds of talent when supported by a solid network. Cecilia Stajano expressed deep emotion at how the project was received in Caserta: “Schools must always be supported… there is excellence and talent just waiting to be guided.”
The students described the experience as a moment of growth, independence and unity, capable of strengthening the group and opening up new perspectives in technological fields still under-represented by women. The Caserta Hackathon was not just a competition, but a demonstration that, as the tutors stated, “digital technology, at its core, is a form of modern humanism”.
Special thanks to Elvira Romano, associate professor, who made this extraordinary experience with the schools possible.
