How do you design a future where more girls see technology as a path that belongs to them?
Is it about tackling math anxiety?
Or about training spatial skills alongside software skills?
Or maybe it’s simply about creating a space where girls can lead, build, break, and rebuild?
At Proud Engineers, we’re setting out to find answers.
Together with Antropoloogia Keskus and impact expert Jaan Aps, we are deconstructing the HK Unicorn Squad model – a tech program that has already engaged more than 4,000 girls across Estonia. The aim is to uncover what actually works when it comes to sparking girls’ confidence, skills, and interest in ICT.
Our work goes beyond access. The challenge isn’t only about providing opportunities—it’s also about countering the thousands of subtle signals society sends that whisper: “this isn’t for you.” We want to design signals that say the opposite: “you belong here.”
Through the Programme for Applied Research by EIS | Enterprise Estonia, this initiative will help turn Unicorn Squad into an export-ready, research-based model. With tested tools, evidence, and metrics, the program will be able to build trust not only among parents and educators in Estonia, but also in communities abroad.
Because designing the future isn’t just about technology, it’s about ensuring everyone sees themselves in it.