They may only be in junior high, but the students at AMIT Wasserman Torah, Arts and Sciences Junior High School for Girls are already being prepped for a future full of innovative technology.
In an effort to expose students to professions of the future and innovative technologies, the school has launched new programs this school year, including one in collaboration with IT and networking giant Cisco and the organization Taasiyeda, the Israeli nonprofit organization that promotes the development of leadership and technology skills in children.
As part of that program, eighth-graders participate in a course called “Premium Entrepreneurship,” in which they develop an idea into a working archetype with the help of an instructor and engineers.
The girls and their parents met with representatives from Taasiyeda and engineers from Cisco for a fascinating discussion about R&D at the tech company. They also learned about the diverse opportunities that await the girls when they are a bit older.
The girls have already begun brainstorming about entrepreneurial ideas and dividing the labor among them. They are also expected to take part in national entrepreneurial competitions with other schools across the country.
In another course called “Digital Entrepreneurship,” seventh-grade students are learning about creative thinking, the concept of market segmentation, and choosing an everyday object that has social value and adapting it with internet-of-things sensors, marketing and promoting it.
The school has also recently opened a cyber club in cooperation with Pisgah Cyber.
Agam Hajaj, a student taking part in the school’s innovative tech programming, said that the entrepreneurship course teaches the girls to think outside of the box, to believe in themselves and to push the envelope. “It’s amazing to see how everyday objects have meanings and uses you don’t always think about. Now we understand how a cell phone or computer work and you think about it in a different way,” she said.
“Our goal is to open a window to the world of science and technology for the girls,” said Principal Brenda Horwitz-Prawer. “We want to push them toward scientific excellence and to integrate them into the scientific forefront while putting to use all their talents.”
