UNICEF and KBTU held the first gamification hackathon in Kazakhstan

In Almaty, at the site of Kazakh-British Technical University (KBTU), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and its partners held a gamification hackathon. Fifty Kazakhstani schoolgirls took part in the hackathon. Previously, the girls attended a special online course created by UNICEF and the GameLab video game development and research laboratory at KBTU. The course is part of UNICEF's global initiative to support girls in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics).
The girls put their skills into practice during a two-day hackathon after first mastering the basic skills of game development and learning about the video game industry through the free online course.
Naza Alakija, a humanitarian and the Founder and CEO of Evoca Foundation who is also a UNICEF NextGen Global Principal and UNICEF International Council member, added: “Girls have an awe-inspiring capacity to meet new challenges and reach new heights when their potential for creativity and innovation is supported. That’s why it’s so important to equip them for entering the tech job market. Hackathon participants know that science, technology, engineering and mathematics are still dominated by men. But they also know that the situation is changing rapidly; it is in their hands to support and accelerate these changes. Today I’ve seen how UNICEF supports their aspirations and gives them the opportunity to shape a new future.”