Youth say exchange programme brought ‘new skills, knowledge’

AMMAN — After spending three weeks in the United States, four Jordanian teenage girls said they returned home with a “newfound understanding of career opportunities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math [STEM]” and with sharpened technical skills that will benefit their future work. 

The four women were part of 28 teenage girls from Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia who participated in the US Department of State’s TechGirls Exchange programme that ended in August.

"The programme had a huge impact on my life. I learnt more about the mentoring opportunities and careers available in my county and in other countries—those were the biggest things,” Lara Abu Rumman, one of the four Jordanians involved in the programme, told The Jordan Times over the phone.

“We had training days and coding workshops, which were very important for when I came back here because they helped me to understand which careers I want to pursue in Jordan,” fellow Jordanian Batool Qudah noted.

The other girls agreed that the programme exposed them to new experiences and perspectives in STEM through training workshops and mentorship, while also teaching them leadership skills and preparing them for higher education.

For one weekend, they lived with host families in southern Virginia to experience life with an American family. “I recommend the exchange to my peers and to other women, especially those who have not visited America or interacted with a lot of people from other cultures,” participant Joanna Kawwa told The Jordan Times. 

The programme centred around an eight-day interactive Java coding camp hosted by the Department of Computer Science Training at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, followed by a two-day programme on campus through the Centre for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity. 

“At the Virginia Tech coding camp, we learned how we could improve ourselves and our communities,” said Jordanian Lara Saket, noting, “it taught us how to make phone apps and games, which I want to... do to help my community in Jordan”, referring to a project she is working on that aids refugee children facing psychological trauma.

In Washington, DC, the girls said they took part in various activities such as leadership clinics, action planning workshops, community service opportunities and job shadowing top local tech companies. They were mentored by top leaders in the tech industry from the US and MENA, including TechWomen programme alumni. The programme also worked closely with many public and private sector partners.

With the return home of this year’s TechGirls cohort, there are now 186 exchange alumni in total — 25 of whom are from Jordan. 

“Each TechGirl returns home and implements various projects for community members. We average that each alumni trains approximately 100 or so people when they return home each year,” explained a US State Department official.

The girls not only talked about the personal and professional benefits of the programme, but also about how significant it is for women in STEM in general. 

Saket expressed how women must play an important role in this field. “I want to change how people think about girls and their work by trying to change stereotypes of what work women should do in society. This is the purpose of the programme — to bring back change to our country,” she said.