Background: ICT includes things like smartphones or computers, items that help people connect with each other and learn about the world around them. Girls in ICT Day encourages girls to consider careers in information and communication technology, a field that typically has more men than women. Girls in ICT Day is held on the fourth Thursday of April every year. As Girl Scouts, we celebrate Girls in ICT Day because by developing an app or learning to code, girls can have a great career and make the world a better place through technology.
As many of you already know, the current COVID-19 pandemic is having a major effect on businesses around the world. Many businesses have had to close in order to protect people who are in close contact with each other from spreading the disease. People who work for businesses that remain open, such as Girl Scouts, have had to shift to working from home. This is one example of the importance of ICT in today’s world.
Activity: Let’s get started! First, decide who you will interview. Do you know anyone who is currently working from home? You can interview someone in your household or perhaps a relative or family friend who does not live with you. If you will be speaking to someone who does not live in your household, you can use technology to video chat with her for the interview portion.
Then you will want to think about the questions you will ask during the interview. Ask things like:
Next, decide on a time you will conduct the interview. Be sure to write down the answers so you can remember them later, and don’t forget to say thank you!
Finally, decide on the technology you will use to share your findings with your troop. Did conducting the interview give you any ideas about the technology you could use? Could you create a video to share or do an online presentation?
After learning more about the technology used to work from home, you should understand more about the importance of technology for communication. Are there other women you might be able to interview to learn more about how technology is used for communication?
Be sure to check out our other activities for Girl Scout Juniors. Your troop leader can also find more Global Action Days activities in the Volunteer Toolkit.
Note: Girls, volunteers, and families are encouraged to take the time and space they need to adjust to this period of rapid change and uncertainty. When they’re ready, we’re here to support Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts to safely take action in their communities—whether it’s helping ensure kids are still getting the nourishment and enrichment they need out of school, responding to the possible ramifications of isolation during social distancing, adapting an existing project to positively impact local communities today, or something else entirely!
Troop Leaders: The instructions for all badge steps are available free of charge in the Girl Scout Volunteer Toolkit.
Girl Scout Activity Zone activities have been adapted from existing Girl Scout programming.