In conjunction with Kartini Day, Mastercard and the YCAB Foundation are strengthening their commitment by expanding the Mastercard Girls4Tech online STEM curriculum.
In conjunction with Kartini Day, Mastercard and the Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB) Foundation are strengthening their commitment to long-term women empowerment. Investing in children, particularly young girls, to become and remain excited about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) topics opens pathways to prosperous and rewarding jobs. At the request of the Ministry of Education, the YCAB Foundation will expand the innovative and engaging Mastercard Girls4Tech online STEM curriculum. Currently operating in four provinces, the YCAB Foundation – with additional Mastercard philanthropic support – will expand into an additional 14 provinces.
Launched in December 2019 as part of the Mastercard Academy 2.0, the YCAB Foundation created an interactive, gamified learning tool. As the country moved into lockdowns because of COVID-19, the YCAB Foundation worked with government officials and school administrators to train teachers to use the gamified tool and STEM curriculum. As of today, YCAB Foundation has trained 346 teachers, 14,891 girls and 984 boys across Banten, Greater Jakarta, West Java, and East Java. The online training is provided through a web-based online educational game, including an e-book, animated videos, and e-discussion forum
YCAB works closely with government officials and educators to provide guidance about pedagogy, instruction on how to use the digital learning tool, and ongoing tech support through a variety of digital channels. YCAB remains committed to assessing the impact of the program and consistently collects and integrates teacher and student feedback in order to improve upon the online tool.
Navin Jain, Country Manager, Indonesia, Mastercard said: “As part of Mastercard Academy 2.0, we are proud to advance this collaborative approach to strengthening the STEM tools available to teachers and students. STEM education is critical today and will become even more important as the digital economy expands, creating new well-paying jobs. Only in working together now can we empower educators with the resources needed to help students learn and apply STEM skills. During this especially difficult time when the pandemic has forced millions of school-age children to learn remotely, it is essential that we create interactive and fun ways to learn STEM subjects.”
Mastercard launched Mastercard Academy 2.0, a flagship program designed to engage and impart essential digital knowledge and skills to different segments of the Indonesian population. Indonesia is privileged to be first country in which this program was launched, especially with the potential it holds as the largest digital economy in Southeast Asia by GDP and by population.
“Innovation and being agile are the key elements we need in this fast changing world of technology” says Veronica Colondam, Founder and CEO of YCAB Foundation. “There’s not been a better time to acknowledge and support the new generation of talented young girls. YCAB Foundation is privileged to partner with Mastercard to implement Mastercard Girls4Tech in Indonesia. We have dedicated ourselves to improve the lives of young girls by exposing them to the whole new world of STEM and the opportunities available to them. We hope to continue to inspire and empower these bright young girls to pursue their dreams and become successful.”
Meanwhile, the pandemic has exposed deep-rooted labor market fragilities and structural inequalities with low-paid workers, including minorities and women.2 The expansion that Mastercard and the YCAB Foundation are working on is to be celebrated as it will be another milestone that will support national economic recovery in the long run through human capital development.
In the years to come, Mastercard and the YCAB Foundation will continue to foster collaborations to bridge the inequalities that exist for women, specifically in STEM subjects, in partnership with the government, civil society, academia, and others. To learn more about Mastercard Academy 2.0 and the latest updates to its programs, please visit https://www.mastercard.co.id/id-id/governments/mastercardacademy02.html