At Kainos, we believe the future of technology must be diverse, inclusive, and empowering. That’s why we launched EmpowHER - a bold new outreach initiative designed to ignite passion for tech in young girls aged 12–14 and help close the gender gap in our industry.
Over eight weeks, we delivered the EmpowHER pilot programme across four schools in the UK, Poland, and Northern Ireland:
- Ashfield Girls’ High School – Belfast
- Selly Park Girls’ School – Birmingham
- St Mary’s College – Derry
- School 57 – Gdańsk
Led by our incredible EmpowHER Ambassadors, Jaya Banala, Sylwia Łuczak-Jagieła, Chloe Simpson, and Emma McLarnon - the programme introduced students to the world of coding, AI, design thinking, and problem-solving. These inspiring women played a vital role in mentoring and guiding students through each session, providing relatable role models and sparking excitement for what’s possible in a tech career.
“It was incredible to watch the girls grow more confident each week. They reminded me why visibility matters - when they see someone like them working in tech, they start to believe they can do it too.”
- Emma McLarnon, Data Analyst at Kainos and EmpowHER Ambassador
The Challenge: Using AI to Solve Real-World Problems
Students were asked to work in teams to develop solutions under one of three themes:
- AI for People
- AI for the Planet
- AI for the Future
Each school held their own internal competition, with the winning teams progressing to the EmpowHER Regional Final. The submissions were judged by a panel of Kainos industry experts: Dorota Skura, Grace Geary, and Jennica Mistry - who were incredibly impressed by the creativity, innovation, and maturity of the ideas presented.
Celebrating our EmpowHER Champions
We were thrilled to crown Ashfield Girls’ High School in Belfast as the winners of our first EmpowHER AI Challenge.
Their concept - an AI Smart Health Kiosk designed to improve access to health information and support within schools - stood out for its originality, societal impact, and thoughtful use of AI technology.
You can watch their winning submission here.
The quality of submissions across all schools was exceptional, and our judges faced a difficult decision. Every team brought creativity, innovation, and a clear passion for using technology to solve real-world problems, making the judging process both inspiring and incredibly challenging.
The quality of submissions across all schools was exceptional, and our judges faced a difficult decision. Every team brought creativity, innovation, and a clear passion for using technology to solve real-world problems, making the judging process both inspiring and incredibly challenging.
“Thank you again for allowing the girls to be part of the programme – they genuinely enjoyed the entire experience. Emma worked brilliantly with the group and really got them thinking. Over the eight weeks, they developed a range of new skills, including teamwork, problem-solving, logical thinking, presenting with confidence, and thinking creatively about how technology can solve real-world problems. We could clearly see their confidence grow as the programme progressed.”
Colette Walker, Head of ICT, Ashfield Girls’ High School
Making a Lasting Impact
EmpowHER was created with two key goals:
- To inspire young women to explore, build confidence in, and engage with technology
- To tackle the gender imbalance in our industry by investing in the next generation
This initiative forms a key part of our wider commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion - core values that underpin everything we do at Kainos.
“EmpowHER is a brilliant example of what happens when we blend purpose with people. It’s not just about showing girls what’s possible in tech - it’s about helping them see themselves in that future. We’re proud to support programmes like this that create opportunity, build confidence, and drive meaningful change in the communities we serve.”
Danielle Keenan, Social Responsibility Manager, Kainos
What’s Next?
Following the success of this pilot, we’re exploring opportunities to scale EmpowHER in 2026, reaching more schools. We’re also inviting other organisations to collaborate with us to maximise our impact and help more young women find their place in tech.
A huge thank you to Aislinn McBride, Chief Technology Officer at Kainos, for championing this initiative, and to every ambassador, teacher, and student who made this programme so impactful.