Over the past few years, hybrid working and digital business processes have become firmly embedded in organizations around the world. As a result, the demand for IT talent is outpacing an already short supply of qualified professionals. CGI is committed to expanding equitable access to IT training. Our goal is to provide fun experiences and support that inspire young people around the world to develop the digital skills needed to succeed in the digital workforce.
STEM@CGI: Inspiring a passion for IT
STEM@CGI is a global program that offers education and mentorship to young people interested in careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Through IT challenges, one of our STEM@CGI initiatives, and with support from CGI mentors, students complete IT projects that can inspire them to pursue a career in IT.
The CGI I.T. Girl Challenge is one of our key programs. We partner with schools and community organizations to host high school girls across the U.S. Small teams partner with CGI mentors to develop a smartphone app which they present to a panel of judges. The most innovative, practical and creative mobile app design team receives college scholarship funds.
Awards and recognition
Participating in events where we can mentor teams is a challenge that CGI members* enjoy. Supporting these teams and helping students build the confidence, skills and network they need to successfully pursue a career in IT is enriching for both mentors and mentees. Many of the young people involved in CGI training programs, who are often from diverse or underrepresented communities, receive awards for their innovation, problem-solving and teamwork.
- During the 2022 World Robot Olympiad in Germany, a team of 3 boys, ages 12 to 13, spent 4 months modifying their Fischertechnik robot. With a CGI member coaching them in project management basics, including time management, project documentation and presentation skills, the CGI team won second place in the regional competition.
- For the U.S. Congressional App Challenge, our members mentor students tasked with creating software applications during a collection of district-wide coding competitions. Two CGI-mentored student teams won the challenge for their districts. Virginia’s 9th Congressional District won for their Codeucation app, a one-stop-shop for documenting programming syntax, and Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District won for their Student Accountability App (SAA), designed to help students with organization and time management skills. The winners are invited to participate in the #HouseofCode event in Washington, D.C. and have their app on display at the U.S. Capitol.
- At Furtwangen University, Germany our team of students were awarded "Best Semester Project" by the University for successfully executing the project, "Biometric Access Control with Intelligent Assistant" at our CGI Innovation Lab in Karlsruhe.
- At the National ATL Space Challenge in 2021, CGI sponsored the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) and the innovation coaches at PKGGHS, a school in Ambattur, Tamil Nadu. Our all- girls team of 3 were among the 75 winning teams (selected from 2,500 submissions and announced in January 2022). The team won for their project, “Light Weight Spaceship with Reduced Radiation Exposure.”
By coordinating and sponsoring IT projects that challenge students to address local, national and global problems, we’re working to improve technical and business literacy within our communities— skills that are critical for the future success of our digital society.
