Cambridge is a global centre of research, innovation and technology, yet many young people from our 'unequal city' do not see themselves represented in this sector. Girls in particular often decide early that tech is 'for boys', and their potential as creators, engineers and innovators is lost.
CCH’s Women in Computing Festival will showcase remarkable women in tech across its social media channels and throughout the museum. Through inspiring role models and hands‑on learning, it aims to help girls and young women see what’s possible and understand that they can be the inventors, engineers and digital leaders of tomorrow.
Code for Change, a powerful new exhibition spotlighting contemporary women who are using technology to fight injustice and build a fairer digital world, will be at the museum for the whole of March.
Free Women in Computing Discovery Days for schools
Thanks to our amazing Silver Sponsor, Cambridge‑based games developer Ninja Theory, CCH has been able to offer four free Discovery Days to 240 children from 16 local schools, with priority given to pupils who may not typically consider a future in tech.
Each Discovery Day will feature a new BBC Micro:bit coding workshop exploring discriminative AI, an interactive Women in Computing-themed museum tour, and sessions with volunteer role models from Ninja Theory and Arm, giving insight into real careers in technology.
Primary school pupils will enjoy The Fabric of Computing with maths educator Alison Kiddle, exploring how everyday maths underpins computing and how women helped build the digital world. The Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts will bring a high‑energy performance The Women in Computing Game Show Challenge. Secondary school students will experience The Magic of Women in Computing, celebrating women’s contributions to computer science with mathmagician James Merlin.
On the final Discovery Day we will welcome data science pioneer Edwina Dunn OBE, along with speakers from her foundation The Female Lead. Vanessa Sanyauke, Joanna Sweeney, and Cambridge University researcher Lucy Wittman will inspire students with talks on data, AI, ethics and leadership.
I love The Centre for Computing History. Seeing all the early computers, mobile phones, and games takes me back to the beginning of my career! I want to prove that women are not a 'nice to have' but an essential economic force; if respected and understood, they are the key to economic growth and financial stability."
Edwina Dunn, data scientist and innovator of Tesco Clubcard
Thanks to our partners
With school budgets under intense pressure, it has been a joy to be able to offer these days entirely free, thanks to Ninja Theory, our Silver Sponsor. Additional support from Arm and a partnership with Dial‑a‑Ride Cambridge has helped remove the barrier of cost of travel to the museum.
CCH would also like to thank our supporters Arm, Raspberry Pi, MathWorks and HFDE Diagnostics, whose ongoing support for our Learning Programme makes events like these possible. Thanks also to Orca Scan, whose QR technology is helping us capture feedback from students and teachers and make next year’s festival even bigger and better!
It's definitely a team effort - and we can't wait to get started!
