The national tour stops at the University of Salerno with 96 teams competing
An entire day dedicated to innovation, creativity and the alliance between schools, universities and businesses. On 16 April, theCoding Girls tour stopped off at the Fisciano Campus in Salerno for a challenge between 96 teams from 16 schools in the area. The hackathon is also the final stage of a nine-hour training course organised as part of Ital.IA Lab, a project developed with Microsoft Italia to promote the opportunities offered by generative artificial intelligence and provide the skills needed to use it in a sustainable and inclusive way, with a special focus on women and southern Italy
The event was attended by hundreds of students, led by university coaches from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Salerno and experts from the Fondazione Mondo Digitale. The teams worked to devise creative and sustainable solutions, starting from real challenges and using the design thinking methodology. The goal was to design activities and services capable of generating value for the local community, using artificial intelligence as a strategic tool.
‘What motivates me to participate in the Coding Girls project every year is my passion for raising awareness and bringing young female students closer to STEM disciplines, particularly computer science. The lack of female representation in this sector risks causing them to miss out on an important opportunity in a working environment that today requires highly skilled individuals,’ explains Delfina Malandrino, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Salerno and guidance counsellor.
At the end of the day, the most original and promising projects were awarded prizes. Special prizes were also awarded for communication, social impact and imagination by a jury composed of representatives from the academic, business and institutional worlds.
First place
The hidden village to discover
team Error 5 del Don Carlo La Mura di Angri
team leader Valentina Pagano
A virtual map that, through a treasure hunt, leads to the discovery (by solving puzzles) of the history of the village's cultural heritage, with rewards and prizes based on the route taken.
Second place
NLD
Team Africa from Da Procida in Salerno
team leader Valentina Gianolo
NLD is an application developed with a view to the future to make small heritage sites more interesting for young people.
Third place
Fuori rotta
team Five Stars from Don Carlo La Mura in Angri
team leader Marta Celentano
An app that, in real time, reports crowded areas and suggests less frequented alternatives based on personal interests (art, nature, gastronomy, history). It uses push notifications to suggest ‘hidden gems’ nearby, also based on the weather or time of day.
Special prize ImmaginA
CampanExplore!
Team San Raffaele
team leader Marica Del Sorbo
A smart app that adapts itineraries based on the user's profile (adult, senior citizen, disabled, young person). The app offers accessible routes, targeted stops, integrated bookings and local guides, promoting inclusion, culture and the economy of local communities.
Initial comments on the experience
Mara Amato, a student at the Besta Gloriosi Institute, highlighted how the experience allowed participants to use artificial intelligence in a more informed way. Severino Nappi, trainer and master's student, observed significant growth in the young people, moving from individual thinking to a collaborative and critical team mindset. Irene Gaita, trainer and master's student, noticed a radical change in the young people's approach to using new technologies during the course. Among the tutors who participated in the initiative were master's students in computer science specialising in data science and machine learning from the University of Salerno, who shared their expertise with the young people.
