Sago Mini partners with Hackergal to help advance gender equality in STEM and tech

Sago Mini is incredibly proud to announce their partnership with Hackergal, a Canadian charity whose mission is to pave the way for a tech industry more inclusive of underrepresented groups. Women represent only 23% of STEM workers, a number that has increased only 2% in the past 30 years; a statistic that programs like Hackergal’s National Hackathon aim to change.

Hackergal works to bring coding education to girls across the country, with a primary focus on BIPOC, French-speaking, northern and remote communities across the country. With an inclusive mandate to welcome anyone who identifies as a girl or as non-binary, Hackergal’s fun and educational coding programs aim to build a more diverse tech workforce in tangible ways.

“It’s important for us to provide girls with opportunities to be mentored and have role models from industry leaders as they explore career paths in STEM”, shares Lucy Ho, Founder and Executive Director of Hackergal. “Sago Mini provides fun learning experiences with game-making and mobile apps, sparking initial interest in code. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Sago Mini as we develop more hands-on experiences for girls to be inspired and see themselves in technology roles.”

“At Sago, we’re passionate about empowering kids. An essential part of that is making sure that every kid can see themselves in what we make,” shares Luke Lutman, Engineering Manager at Sago Mini. “This partnership is a great opportunity to help the young women Hackergal supports see themselves at companies like ours - building, coding and making great things. We’re excited to humbly share our knowledge and experience with the hope that we might work alongside them someday soon.” Sago Mini’s other recent partners have included Damage Labs, a not-for-profit that aims to fund digital projects from underrepresented founders.

This year’s Hackergal x Sago Mini events include:

• Hackergal Hackathon: A week-long virtual event, inviting thousands of girls across Canada to code collaboratively and with a purpose. A number of Sago Mini’s female coders, artists, designers and professionals will be hosting keynotes, Q&A sessions, trivia and more at this year’s event.
• Custom In-Class Coding Webinars: Sago Mini’s “Women in Tech” will be (virtually!) invited into classrooms where they’ll teach text-based coding, answer questions from learners and participate in classroom discussions about diversity, tech and more.
• Hackergal Hub: Career Connections via Hackergal Hub, Hackergal’s online learning portal, young learners will be able to learn from, interview and interact with women in tech at Sago Mini and many other leading industry experts.

About Sago Mini

Sago Mini makes digital and physical toys that preschoolers (and parents) love. Powered by a love of play and the office espresso machine, their team of designers, developers and office dogs are the brains behind beloved products like Sago Mini School, Sago Mini World and Sago Mini Boxes, amongst others. Proudly Canadian, Sago Mini is a subsidiary of Toca Boca, the No.1 mobile-first kids brand in the App Store. Both companies are part of Spin Master, a leading global children’s entertainment company.

About Hackergal

Hackergal was founded in 2015 with the mission to introduce girls across Canada to computer science through its hackathon program. The charity’s goal is to create a national movement of girls coding, ultimately closing the gender gap in technology and computer science — by sparking their interest and confidence at an early age. Hackergal has four programmatic pillars to support its mission:

• Hackergal Hackathon: The Hackergal Hackathon invites middle school girls across Canada to work in teams to code a project focused on creating social impact change.
• Hackergal Hub: Hackergal Hub is a free online learning platform that equips girls with the tools to lead their own coding journeys!
• Scholarships and Ambassador Program: Hackergal is committed to providing ongoing support to girls who have participated in our programs and are keen to pursue their interest in computer science and technology-related fields. Hackergal will provide internships, scholarships, and networking opportunities to pave the way for a more equitable future in technology.
• Growing Hackergal – Diversity and Inclusion: Hackergal is focused on expanding our reach and impact on girls and facilitators across Canada to support BIPOC communities, building inclusive programs that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.