Teen-Turn and PayPal host coding boot camp for global Technovation competition

Pictured: Some of the participants who attended and presented at the Teen-Turn and PayPal coding boot camp.

Teen-Turn and PayPal recently joined forces to host a coding and app development boot camp at PayPal’s Dublin campus. This boot camp saw approximately 50 participants from schools and colleges across Ireland working with mentors and volunteers from PayPal for the global Technovation competition.

Teen-Turn, a volunteer-led organisation and registered charity, aims to support course decision-making processes, advise on education and career options, and promote the accessibility of STEM career environments for girls from underserved and underrepresented communities. Meanwhile, Technovation is a tech education nonprofit that offers interactive learning programs in which young people and adults learn how to use technology to solve real-world problems.

Whilst many of the attendees are taking part in this year’s Technovation competition, some of the attendees on the day were from previous years of the competition and presented the apps they have created and the social enterprises they have launched through the Teen-Turn Incubator and Accelerator Program – including HerdSync and UNdump. In addition to coding and app development, boot camp participants worked with mentors and volunteers on business plans to support the rollout of their innovations.

The attendees came from a range of areas and schools including Archbishop McHale College (Galway), Belmayne Educate Together Secondary School (Dublin), Coláiste Bríde (Dublin), Coláiste Nano Nagle (Limerick), Dominican College (Galway), Dunmore Community School (Galway), Galway Educate Together Secondary School, Glenamaddy Community School (Galway), Kylemore College (Dublin), Millstreet Community School (Cork), Mount Carmel Secondary School (Dublin), Mount St Michael Secondary School (Mayo), Mungret Community College (Limerick), Presentation Secondary School Warrenmount (Dublin), Salerno Secondary School (Galway), St Jarlath’s College (Galway), St Patrick’s Comprehensive School (Clare), and St Vincent’s (Cork).

Speaking about the event, Jacquie Murphy, Munster Co-ordinator with Teen-Turn, said: "We were blown away by the number of mentors in attendance to work with the girls on the day! The range of expertise was second to none, as was the warm welcome and friendly atmosphere. The girls were given expert advice, help and encouragement to make significant progress on their apps.

“Working with mentors in the STEM industry, including leaders such as PayPal, gives the girls an opportunity to visualise themselves in those roles in the future. Visiting the campus is an invaluable experience that many girls would not get to do as a second-level student in Ireland. We are incredibly grateful to the team at PayPal for their work on this boot camp visit.”

Siobhan Grogan, Community Impact lead for Dublin, PayPal, added: “We were delighted to host the Teen-Turn Technovation event at our Dublin campus. The talent and potential of the participants were truly awe-inspiring, with their innovative thinking impressing even our most experienced colleagues! Their passion, entrepreneurship, and determination, combined with the incredible support from our employees, made for an unforgettable experience. The future is certainly in great hands with the next generation.”

At PayPal, Employee Community Impact is important as a means of both helping the communities in which the organisation operates and empowering employees. Every year, PayPal employees make a positive impact through volunteering, charitable giving, and other engagement programmes. In 2023, PayPal employees contributed more than 118,000 volunteer hours in their local communities. The company’s ongoing commitment to making employee impact opportunities more accessible resulted in 67% of PayPal employees globally mobilising to support their communities.