This week a New York-based coding and dance program came to Winnipeg to inspire girls to get more involved in technology.

Yamilee Toussaint, Founder & CEO of Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) from Dance, studied Mechanical Engineering at MIT and designed a programming workshop for girls. Toussaint wanted to see more girls of colour in the STEM field as she noticed at MIT she was one of the only African American women in the program.

Toussaint sees the mindset of girls toward STEM studies as crucial to involving young women and showing them that they are capable of working with and learning difficult programs. She is also passionate about dance and uses this activity to create a fun and creative space to explore STEM through dance.

STEM from Dance was started seven years ago and is partnered with 450 girls through 30 schools in New York. The program has also travelled to put on workshops in Australia, around the US and as on this week in Canada as well.

This past Wednesday and Thursday young Winnipeg girls went to several workshops to learn code, a dance routine, and how to create a lighting circuit to use in their dance.

Over the course of the two days, 80 girls went through the program and "most of them came with little to no experience with programming" says Toussaint.

"They get to experience programming without some of the things that are kind of intimidating," Toussaint explained that it is important that the girls are in a warm and welcoming environment that will encourage them throughout the process of programming.

The girls got to keep the circuit boards they were given to take home to encourage them to continue learning and exploring programming.