#CodingGirls campaign inspires more girls to get into coding with Primo Toys

They can change the world. Unlock their potential. Primo Toys is on a mission to inspire the world to do just that, giving girls the power and confidence to aspire to jobs in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) sector in a bid to bridge the gender gap.

In 2017, women made up 23% of the workforce in core STEM jobs in the UK, showcasing the gender inequality prevalent in today’s society. There is a positive trend year on year, with 61,430 more women in tech in 2017 compared to the previous year, but Primo Toys want to see more of a change worldwide.

With International Women’s Day (8 March) fast approaching, the company want to highlight just how important this opportunity can be, and inspire more girls to get into coding. To kick off the #CodingGirls campaign, the educational toy company are offering an exciting internship at the Primo Toys office in London. One aspiring young woman will be given the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with a dynamic, rapidly developing ed-tech start-up company, who are always on the lookout for new ways to push the boundaries. Applications are now open, those interested are invited to apply on the website.

Valeria Leonardi, COO at Primo Toys is a mother with a strong passion for ed tech, spearheading the campaign, she comments:

“It was through my daughter Olivia that I was involved in co-founding Primo, and she is still a constant inspiration to me. She reminds me of how important it is to support young girls and boys in learning how to become self-confident, aware and free of prejudice when it comes to deciding who we want to be, and what we want to do to make a difference to the world.

“I come from a family of female pioneers, and am proud to have been influenced by two grandmothers with university degrees and long careers, an aunt who is a leading scientist and a mother who worked as a Waldorf teacher. With this #CodingGirls campaign, we want to amplify the message and encourage parents to think about how their daughters can get ahead in STEM subjects. As Randi Zuckerberg once said, ‘We have to make technology accessible to all genders, languages and cultures, and is starts young.’”

One of Primo’s founding principles is to create toys that are equally as appealing to girls and boys. The friendly wooden robot, Cubetto is the early-age solution for the gender gap in STEM. Introducing coding through open-ended play makes it gender neutral, and promotes creativity and critical thinking alongside 21^st century skills.

Valeria adds:

“We are excited to hear from girls interested in the business side of the STEM industry, and to give them a boost at an early age in their career. Primo Toys is made up of around 50% female employees, so we feel that we are leading by example when it comes to gender parity in the tech workplace.”

Primo Toys is looking to support various organisations during the campaign,  including Stemettes, Finding Ada, Ada’s List and Token Man. The company will also be at the Lab Live: Sci-Art event at the Institute of Imagination in London on 10th March showcasing how you can create an interactive piece of art with Cubetto.

To find out more about the #CodingGirls campaign, click here.