empowerHER - inspiring Girls, creating Opportunities

The empowerHER initiative is an offer for girls in school and young women in which we want to report on our own experiences at events, via social media, and in various other formats and inspire them for computer science. Following on from the global #womenintech movement, we are particularly active in younger age groups. We want to encourage women to take the step into IT and be tangible role models along the way!

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What do we do?

Our next Activities

April 10 & May 01/08 2024, at 6 pm: Game Night
Location: Discord
April 25, 2024:Girls' Day
Location: Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam
June 2024:girls@BWINF Camp
Location: Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam
October 16 - 18, 2024: Young Women in AI
Location: Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam
November 2024:empowerHER+ conference
Location: Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam

For whom:

Students from grade 5
First-year students in the STEM field
Young women before studying computer science

What we offer:

Keynotes and input sessions
Interactive workshops for various events and target groups
Discussion formats
Various events for study orientation
Campus tours
(You can find a virtual campus tour with Lotte on Instagram: Part I | Part II)
Networking opportunities and networking events
Personal exchange opportunities on the topic of "Studying computer science as a woman"

Who are we?

Charlotte (Lotte) Balcke: I have been a student at the Hasso Plattner Institute since 2020 and am now in my Master's degree. During my studies, I already gained some experience in the industry to develop an understanding of the possible application fields of computer science. As a result, I not only experienced for myself the problems that women can face in the world of work but also how important it is to have a network of inspiring people. To make it easier for other young women to get into computer science and to inform them about possible career options, I am therefore engaged in the new empowerHER initiative at HPI, among other things.

To the LinkedIn profile

Ronja Krüger [former member]: I come from northern Germany and have been studying for a Bachelor's degree at HPI since 2022. During my Voluntary Scientific Year in Oldenburg, I was already involved in promoting girls and women in STEM subjects. With the empowerHER project, I want to encourage other young women as a role model and get them excited about computer science.

To the LinkedIn profile

What have we done already?

In addition to various school visits and smaller events at HPI, we were also involved in the following larger events:

November 17 - 19, 2023: girls@BWINF Camp
Location: Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam
August 22 - 27, 2023: GamesCom 2023
Location: Koelnmesse, Cologne
July 06, 2023: LERNEN.cloud-Forum 2023
Location: Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam
- Workshop on the topic of "Reducing gender stereotypes in the classroom"
- Panel discussion on "Role modeling as a guide - The role model function in the classroom and beyond"
- All lectures and materials can also be found afterwards in the free online course
June 09, 2023:Bachelor Information Day 2023
Location: Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam
- Keynote on study motivation and introduction to the degree program
- Campus tours and personal discussions on the topic of "Computer Science as a woman"
May 12, 2023: Women In Tech Networking Day 2023
Location: Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam
- Panel discussion on the topic of "Role models on the path to IT"
April 27, 2023: Girls' Day 2023
Location: Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam
- Keynote and discussion input on the topic "Women In Tech"