After the 18-week program with Sisters of Code, we asked our graduates "Why did they join Sisters of Code clubs" and "How useful is our program for their academic and career future". The survey shows interesting perspectives of our students toward our Sisters of Code program. These finding help us to evaluate the impact of the program, as well as take into consideration future development possibilities to make sure we can support female students in Cambodia in the best possible way.
The main reason students joined the Sisters of Code program was that they were curious about learning to code and need coding skills for their studies. Some students also joined our program together with friends or were introduced by teachers, friends, and families. This is a great indicator to understand that female students are willing to learn digital skills when they have such opportunities. As well as we can learn, that a supportive community is essential, so they can learn together.
The program ran smoothly without any major stumbling blocks for the Sisters of Code team. However, there are some difficulties that students face while studying. According to the survey results, 44% of the students mentioned having slow internet, and 39% mentioned having difficulty finding time to complete assignments. Meanwhile, only 13% of students had trouble understanding the material, while 36% had no problems at all. These challenges can be addressed by providing students with access to faster internet and by offering more flexible learning options, such as providing more opportunities for students to learn independently.
We are happy to learn that 82% of our students find our lessons interesting for them to learn and 77.5% find the skills they have learned useful for their future. On the one hand, 92% of our graduates admitted that our Sisters of Code Ambassadors were very useful and helpful to them because they were enthusiastic and knowledgeable as well as made the class interesting and interactive.
With these positive impacts, 90% of our graduates would recommend other girls to join Sisters of Code.
At the same time, we asked our students about the challenges for girls to study technology, and 55% of them stated that there are not many places offer technology courses, and not always girls are allowed to study technology. The others also mention that it is very hard to study technology and not all girls can do that and it is also very expensive to study technology. It is also about the stereotype that girls can't code.
These challenges can be overcome by providing more access to technology education for girls, as well as by challenging stereotypes and encouraging girls to pursue their interests in STEM. Sisters of Code is working to address these challenges by providing girls with access to high-quality technology education, as well as by creating a supportive and inclusive environment where girls can learn and grow.
Despite those challenges, our graduates develop a positive perception toward the ability of boys and girls studying technology. According to our survey, 90% of our students believe that to grow in the tech field, there is no difference for genders, but depends on the abilities of each student. Participation in the Sisters of Code program has helped the students to grow their confidence and skills. 77% of the students agreed that the skills they have learned will help them in the future and only 5% mentioned they do not think those skills were useful for them.
In the future, students would like to continue learning digital skills. 85% mentioned that they are interested in graphics design and 75% want to learn mobile development. 65% are interested in web development and 55% prefer game development and robotics.
We also asked if our students felt supported by their family and friends to study technology and we were glad to learn that the majority of our students were encouraged by the family.
Sisters of Code students feedback:
Mak Molisopheakneath: I think Sister of Code is an awesome program, as it provides FREE courses for young girls to broaden their knowledge, opportunities and break the old stereotypes. I also love the fact that they introduce us to scholarship opportunities at the end of the course. I think this course should be available to more girls, as I believe it’s a great course and deserves more support and attention.
Ra Naro: I think Sister of Code is the best way for any student, especially girls to discover their abilities to learn coding. Sometimes they never try and just said « no, no! I can’t learn this. Don’t force me!» Don’t think like that. There is nothing we can’t do. We just need to have more positive thinking! Often girls have abilities, but they have no chance to learn. So I hope Sister of Code can give a hope to girls to become more confident in coding in the future.
Chhearith Sokunarya: I think Sister of Code program is good for girls who want to study coding, as it gives them an opportunity to develop skills and learn how to write code. Writing code is so hard sometimes, but I believe I can achieve my dream and can do it. I am really thankful to my teacher for teaching me 😘😘