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EIT Community launches the Girls Go Circular project to address the digital gender gap

Developing digital and entrepreneurship skills for the circular economy

The Girls Go Circular project originates from the urgency to close the gender gap in the number of women active in the digital and entrepreneurship sector in the EU.

The Digital Education Action Plan of the European Commission reports that only 30% of entrepreneurs and 32% of economic leaders in the EU are women. Furthermore, only 15% of tech sector employees in the EU are women.

Through an online learning programme on the circular economy, the Girls Go Circular project will contribute to closing the digital gender gap, particularly in those countries defined as modest and moderate innovators according to the European Innovation Scoreboard.

Girls Go Circular is an initiative of EIT RawMaterials and EIT Manufacturing executed in partnership with Brainshuttle and Junior Achievement Europe. The project is a part of the Cross-KIC Skills for Future Initiative, a groundbreaking secondary education programme, fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs in Europe.

The learning programme

In 2021, 12 000 schoolgirls aged 14-18 will participate in online training, encompassing individual work as well as group activities and leadership challenges. The students will not only use digital media as a platform to study, work and develop ideas, but also as a means to train their leadership skills. Themes like food, fashion and the use and disposal of technological appliances will be the cornerstones of this learning, empowering girls to become part of the solution to the current sustainability challenge. Compatibly with the limitations imposed by the current situation with COVID-19, face-to-face workshops will be organised to support online learning with in-person activities.

The project aims to develop entrepreneurship skills through challenge-based exercises with a focus on the circular economy. The Girls Go Circular project will develop a platform to guide girls as they navigate the digital space to research challenges related to the circular economy and utilise digital tools to develop solutions or campaigns that address the challenges.

How to participate in the project

Every school in the targeted countries of the EIT RIS initiative (Southern and Eastern European countries, full list here) can participate in the learning programme; every student can access the platform and start learning. The project targets primarily girls, but it is open to every student. If you are a school head, a teacher, or a student and you would like to participate in the project, please learn more here.

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