Avye Couloute

Avye started coding aged seven when she attended a physical computing club. She loved how she could use code to move things on the screen or to control electronic components, and began to actively research and learn more skills in her spare time.

When Avye noticed that most of the attendees at these digital workshops were boys, she founded Girls Into Coding (GIC). Through a combination of workshops and talks delivered by trailblazing women and girls in the tech sector, GIC not only improves the girls’ digital making abilities, it also develops their skills in problem solving, teamwork and resilience, thereby building their confidence and opening their eyes to new pathways.

The 14-year-old is driven by a passion to get more girls into tech by helping them access coding and digital skills opportunities. She says: “My mission is to try and get girls involved in coding so they can develop their confidence in tech based settings. Us girls use technology but we could also be the ones shaping the technology of the future.”

Working with girls aged 10 to 14, a critical age for shaping future pathways, GIC delivers free workshops exploring robotics, coding, physical computing and 3D printing to young women from diverse backgrounds.

Avye adds: “I hope that my coding workshops have provided an opportunity for girls to consider STEM education, careers and activities. In the past, girls and women have been underrepresented in tech. This generation has a chance to change that.”

Avye is a visible example of a young person purposefully engaging with an issue she is passionate about changing, with her programme tailored specifically to create and shape an environment for other women and girls to do the same.