The project to guide young people towards STEAM disciplines comes to an end
Over 700 students from Campania and Lombardy took part in activities designed to guide them towards STEAM studies and careers. The project, which began in September 2025, concluded with final online mentoring and role-modelling sessions, alongside professional experts from Micron Italia. In April, two hackathons were held, one in Milan and one in Naples, for upper secondary school pupils: after actively participating in in-person and online training sessions, they worked in groups on project-based tasks to propose practical solutions to real-world problems relevant to their own lives.
The gender gap in STEM disciplines remains a global challenge: according to UNESCO, less than 30% of researchers are women, with an even lower female presence in strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. To address this challenge, during the 2025–2026 academic year, the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS, together with the Micron Foundation, the foundation of Micron Technology which aims to support educational initiatives, particularly in the field of STEM, is promoting Coding Girls Power Up, a training programme that aims to equip the younger generation with practical tools and strategic skills, integrating the ethical use of AI, data science and cybersecurity, also applied to the automotive sector. The event takes place as part of the twelfth edition of Coding Girls, now Coding Girls & Women, a national programme designed to tackle the gender gap in STEM disciplines, boost the self-esteem of girls and women, and facilitate access to training courses and technology-related professions through a lifelong learning pathway, supported by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies via Notice 2/2024. The project takes the form of a national tour spanning the country in 12 stages, with local activities designed to engage educational communities and the public.
Specifically, for the Coding Girls Power Up programme, two hackathons were held, one in Milan and one in Naples, involving secondary school students: after actively participating in in-person and online training sessions, alongside expert volunteers from Micron, they engaged in project work, divided into groups, to propose concrete solutions to real-world problems relevant to their own experiences. The first hackathon, on 8 April, was hosted at the Lessona Neighbourhood Centre of the Municipality of Milan, a community hub for the neighbourhood, with the participation of over 80 students from Lombardy attending the IIS Gadda school in Paderno Dugnano and the IIS Lagrange school in Milan, accompanied by 8 teachers and divided into 15 teams.
Micron was actively represented by Barbara Carcano, Talent Acquisition and Academic Programme Manager, and Nicola Rosito, mNAND Quality Assurance Manager. The meeting was the result of a collaboration between the third sector, the business world and institutional representatives: in addition to the organisations that run the host venue, a true hub for local residents, the event was also attended by Simone Zambelli, Councillor for Municipality 8 of the City of Milan, with responsibility for Neighbourhood and Community Centres, Culture, Mobility, Public Space, Local Retail and Health.
The teams competed across three areas – education, public transport and youth employment – presenting prototypes incorporating AI through final pitches. The winner was Team 8, ‘Horizon’, from IIS C. E. Gadda; the prize for the most original project went to Team 14 from IIS G. Lagrange; whilst the most visionary project was that of Team 16, ‘I cromosomi’. Further details at the link. Horizon’s proposal is SkillsMatch AI, a platform designed to tackle the issue of skills mismatch among young people, which analyses users’ CVs and interests to identify latent skills and suggest career paths.
The second hackathon, on 21 April, held in the Leopoldo Massimilla Lecture Theatre at the University of Naples Federico II, saw over 90 secondary school students from Naples’ IIS Nitti and LS Tito Lucrezio Caro compete, joined by students from IIS Majorana in Pozzuoli and the Polispecialistico San Paolo in Sorrento, with the participation of Marco Di Pasqua, Staff Engineer, Operational Excellence at Micron. The competition, coordinated by trainers from the ElectroInfo association, invited the teams to rethink the role of artificial intelligence: not a threat, but an ally, an ‘extended arm’ capable of amplifying human capabilities. The winning team was “Le Stelle” with “Napoli Sotteranea” from the E. Majorana High School; the prize for the most visionary project went to the “Settimine” team with “Napolife” from the Tito Lucrezio Caro High School. The “’O core e Napule” award was presented to the “I quaranta” team with “CazzimmA.I.” from Nitti. Here is the in-depth report.
“At Micron, we believe that investing in STEM education and the informed development of digital skills means creating fairer opportunities for students,” said Roberto Bez, Country Manager of Micron Italy. “With Coding Girls Power Up, we put this commitment into practice: we offer hands-on experiences on key topics such as artificial intelligence, supporting students with the expertise and energy of our volunteers. This is how we intend to make a positive and lasting impact: through partnerships with local organisations and a culture of ‘giving’ that puts Micron’s people at the forefront.”
