by Mariana Bernagozzi
Warning: Being a PUMM mentor is a potentially addictive experience.
Personal experience
Programming A Better World (PUMM) is an intensive program in technology and entrepreneurial skills for high school girls between the ages of 13 and 16 and is organized by Girls in Technology (CET). During 4 days, participants focus on developing a mobile application that solves a problem in their environment. In October 2015, the first edition of the PUMMs took place and I was fortunate to have been invited to participate as a mentor.
I am not a person who has regular contact with teenagers and that generated some fears and questions in me. Was I going to be able to connect with the girls? Was I going to be able to motivate and encourage them? However, I accepted without hesitation, it seemed too good an opportunity to pass up.
All in all, and despite my fears, the first PUMM turned out to be an incredible experience for all of us who participated. It was very rewarding and full of beautiful moments. Therefore, I let the CETs know that they could count on me to participate again.
This year I applied again to be a mentor and was selected to participate in the PUMM that took place in June. This time with less fear, I knew what to expect. Once again, as I expected, it was a fantastic event that left my heart full of joy. Needless to say, I am already looking forward to mentoring a third time.
Importance of mentors
Mentor involvement is critical as they are the ones who work alongside the participants as part of their team to assist in development, provide inspiration and motivation.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor but don't think it's for you, it's important to know that:
- While PUMMs are geared toward girls, mentors do not have to be exclusively female.
- The only requirement, besides the desire to participate, is that you have some programming experience. You do not need to be a teacher, nor do you need to have a university degree or a Turing Award.
PUMMs are a very positive experience and here are 10 reasons why you should sign up for them YA to participate as a mentor:
Help close the gender gap in technology.
In her book Feminist Economics, Mercedes D'Alessandro says that if we take two high school students, a boy and a girl, both with the same aptitude and education, the most typical career choice for the boy is engineering while she is more likely to study literature or psychology. There are far more girls studying to be nurses and teachers than programmers, where the pay is better and there are more job opportunities.
If the low percentage of women in technology is something that makes noise in your head, you can do your bit by joining as a PUMM mentor. With very little effort on your part you can make a big difference.
2.- Inspire young people to pursue a technology-related career
Not only will you be inspiring the girls who participate in the program because they end up so excited that they share their experience with the rest of their peers and friends. The program makes young people see that they can be more than just consumers of technology, that they also have the ability to produce technology.
3.- Debunking myths and stereotypes
Although this is something that has been reversing in recent times, programmers tend to have many negative stereotypes associated with them: that we are social misfits, that programming is an activity for men, that we work in a dark basement, that we don't like sports, that our hygiene is dubious.
Many of the girls who participate in the PUMMs have this erroneous image in their heads because they have not had the opportunity to meet any programmer. But you are a cool person and you know it. You know that programming is a very fun and creative activity, so help us to get rid of this negative image. Even if you fit some of these stereotypes, it's still cool!.
4.- Networking
PUMMs are an excellent opportunity for networking.
If you haven't met the Chicas en Tecnología yet, you will have the opportunity to do so. The CET are a super talented group, with a very good predisposition and they will be there for everything you need.
But you will also have the opportunity to meet the rest of the mentors, people as great and as passionate about technology as you are.
5.- Learning
Chicas en Tecnología is in charge of conducting a pre-training for mentors and providing you with all the tools. However, it is very likely that during the PUMM the participants will ask us questions that we do not know how to answer. This should not be a cause for anxiety, on the contrary, it is an opportunity to show how problems are solved in real life: it is worth looking for solutions on the internet (cof cof cof - copy and paste from Stack Overflow - cof cof cof) and it is also worth consulting other experts. CET is formed by a group of experts in various disciplines and they can give you a hand in whatever you need.
6.- Feel (younger) for a while.
During PUMM you will be interacting with teenagers. You will have the opportunity to talk to the girls, get to know them, find out what music they like, see how they express themselves, what activities they like. And if, like me, you are not a person who is in regular contact with teenagers, you will find it a very interesting experience.
7.- Invitations to other events and opportunities
In addition to the PUMMS, Chicas En Tecnologia organizes equally wonderful talks and workshops and will invite you to participate in them. They also promote many opportunities, offer great scholarships (they recently offered a scholarship to go to the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing) and invite you to present papers at conferences. To tell the truth, the CET mentoring community is made by all of us and the idea is that we can all share opportunities.
8.- Do something out of the routine
Being a mentor in a PUMM gives you the opportunity to relate to technology from a different angle, one that you are not used to. Many of the participants have very basic notions of programming or don't know how to program at all. This is not a problem because AppInventor, the software development environment used in PUMMs, is a visual and very intuitive environment.
9.- Be part of an event with a lot of diffusion.
PUMMs are so cool that it's no wonder they get so much media attention. If you don't believe me, you can check them out in the press of the CET site. And you, as a mentor, are going to be a part of it all.
10.- It's a lot of fun!
You will have a great time. Good atmosphere, delicious food, souvenirs, great ambiance. What more could you ask for?
If you are interested, you can sign up here.
