THE EDUCATION SPACE - NEWSLETTER - NEWS
‘When I look for young Black women in computing I get an Error 404: Not Found’ Emily Jenkins National Education Union
Paulette Watson (pictured) tells Emily Jenkins how she inspires girls and disadvantaged children to get into coding.
women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), particularly through her organisation Academy Achievers.
Paulette Watson has loved computers since she was a child. Sadly, however, she found the computing classes she received at school to be disenfranchising and “boring” – lacking the role models that represented her as a young black woman.
The not-for-profit organisation, of which Paulette is chief executive, offers children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Newham the chance to access educational programs and,
Rather than shying away, however, she has made it her mission to change things for the next generation. And now the computer science teacher from Newham has received the prestigious WinTrade Women in Engineering Award for her work doing just that.
‘I got to the top of the mountain’ “When I heard my name I was like: ‘Wow!’” says Paulette happily. “I got a standing ovation and I was so overwhelmed. It felt like I got to the top of the mountain.” The award, which recognises “consistent integrity and progressive thinking” within the engineering sector, was awarded to Paulette for her “trailblazing” work when it comes to
ISSUE 22 - PREPARING CHILDREN FOR A WORLD THAT DOESN’T YET EXIST
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