A new version of the Arduino Quest workshop ends with 32 entertaining projects 

August 2023. "It was a moment to get out of my world, where I was worried and stressed by personal problems, besides I love programming, this was really a great opportunity for me since I don't have many resources. I freed myself and I really enjoyed the classes", says Catalina Astorga during the closing ceremony of the Arduino Quest workshops. Arduino Quest workshops. She was one of the 32 students who participated and completed their project in this initiative of Girls Pro and the Millennium Institute Foundational Research on Data.

Arduino Quest is a totally free online workshop for girls in elementary and middle school. who are in elementary and middle school, where those who are perseverant will have an Arduino will have at their disposal an Arduino -an open hardware and software system that allows creating interactive digital applications to control objects- to learn how to program them and unleash all their creativity. to learn how to program them and unleash their creativity.

The workshop consists of 3 phases: theoretical classes, a simulation project and finally, the creation of a real project with electronic components. These phases are consecutive, i.e., you move on to the next phase if you successfully complete the previous one, it is structured to provide a good learning experience. 

"I really liked all the development of the girls, the projects that we went through. The whole team was happy because we saw very good work and the great progress regarding the fact that many girls did not know about circuits and they did it perfectly. We also saw a lot of perseverance despite being in parallel with classes at school and they still sent the projects" said Carolina Silva, teacher of the Arduino Quest workshops, at the closing ceremony.

More girls and women in STEM 

The Arduino Quest workshops are an initiative that Niñas Pro and the IMFD are carrying out to contribute to reducing the gender gap in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). In addition, it should be noted that in Chile, women graduates of UNDERGRADUATE in STEM account for only 7%. They also represent 35% of the research personnel and their salaries are up to 23% lower than those of men, according to the second version of the study second version of the Gender Radiography study of the Ministry of Science and Knowledge.

The Arduino Quest and IMFD's collaboration with Girls Pro are part of the IMFD Outreach initiatives, funded by ANID, in which IMFD actively participates to actively promote bridging the gender gap in STEM.