Start of tap story.
In Brazil, mentoring next gen women in tech
Samsung innovation campus in Brazil has been training young people from 16-20 years of age in tech skills to equip them for future careers....
Preventing road accidents with tech
Giovana Rocha dos Santo noticed billboards displaying accident statistics along the busy road she walked by every day in Campinas, and thought that there must be a way to address this using technology...
Samsung innovation campus in Brazil
Four years: Samsung Innovation Campus has run programmes training young Brazilians in Python and AI since 2020...
Tech made accessible to all
Giovana was initially worried that she would struggle with programming and IT and was pleasantly surprised that the curriculum was taught with a clear sequence, covering the basics before ...
Paying it forward
After personally benefiting so much from Samsung Innovation Campus, Giovana felt the natural next step for her was to help other young women like her build skills in tech. ...
A tech journey that has just begun
Giovana emerged from the five-month programme a woman in tech and science, and is looking forward to further exploration, by pursuing engineering at university. ...
End of tap story.
Mentoring next-gen women in tech
How one Brazilian student's journey of technological discovery is keeping others in mind
17-year-old Giovana Rocha dos Santos from Campinas in Brazil says Samsung Innovation Campus, a programme which has been training young people in the country since 2020, ignited her passion for technology and opened her eyes to career opportunities in the sector. She wants to help guide future cohorts to follow in her footsteps and leverage all that the programme has to offer.
In 2022, while studying Technical Electronics at the Federal Institute of São Paulo, I first learned about Samsung Innovation Campus⎯a programme that would go on to change my life.
My interest was piqued when I saw it being widely publicised through the school’s website and on posters. And when I realised I would be able to learn Python and artificial intelligence (AI) skills through the programme, classes that I did not have access to in my IFSP studies curriculum, I realised I could not pass up this opportunity to deepen my knowledge of tech.
When I found out I had secured a place along with a scholarship, I felt immense joy.
Driven by data
Samsung Innovation Campus was my gateway to the world of technology and innovation; it took me on a journey of discovery. It fuelled my passion for using technology in practical ways to solve real-world problems⎯which inspires me much more than solving an exercise in a book.
I learned Python first and then AI. The classes were dynamic and covered the basics like initial concepts to the use of advanced libraries. The course platform had a clear sequence of content to follow, while teachers taught us the project methodology in parallel. The study materials were also translated into Portuguese and presented in an organised way, which made it easier for me to enter the world of IT and programming, an area I was worried I would struggle with.
The classes emphasised identifying problems and seeing how they could be solved with Python. So, I began to brainstorm ideas with the teachers who encouraged us to look at our daily lives. That sparked my project, DriveSafeAI.
Every day, I walk along Avenida John Boyd Dunlop, which is considered the largest road in Campinas city. The road is jammed with cars, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles, and along the sidewalks are billboards with traffic-accident statistics. My goal was to develop a data-analysis algorithm using Python that indicates the risk of accidents occurring in particular spots along the road at different times of day. I felt that with this information, local authorities could use preventative measures, such as signs and traffic police, in a more targeted and effective way.
The support I received from my teachers and mentors at Samsung Innovation Campus was invaluable to my project. They guided me in identifying which traffic-data elements were helpful for the analysis I wanted to do. Knowing I could get their help whenever a doubt arose in my mind boosted my confidence in solving the challenge.
From student to graduate to mentor
After completing the programme, I secured an internship at the State University of Campinas, also known as UNICAMP. My work currently involves developing prototypes for renewable-energy solutions. At the same time, I am continuing to develop DriveSafeAI. I recently requested new data from municipal authorities and am building additional variables into the algorithm to make it more accurate. I am hoping my next step will be to study engineering at university level. In the long term, my dream is work abroad for a company that believes in empowering young people and women around the world. In the short term, I have been appointed as a mentor for this year’s Samsung Innovation Campus, which means I will be helping five students in the brainstorming and development of their projects. I am really excited by this role; I see this as an opportunity for personal and academic growth.
A lifechanging experience
My experience at Samsung Innovation Campus 2023 was incredible. It was a fruitful, creative and productive period of my life.
While I developed core technical skills, such as Python, I also learned how to pitch and honed interpersonal skills. The latter is especially important as I am now able to talk about tech and science with researchers without getting nervous.
The programme also included an employment module. Aimed at helping prepare students for their working lives, I had the opportunity to receive career guidance, and to learn about resume preparation and how to network.
The teachers were always available to support us and answer our questions. Additionally, we had access to IFSP’s laboratory, where we could use manufacturing equipment and materials.
More importantly, the programme was free of charge, which gave me access to resources and materials that I would not have been able to afford otherwise.
If I had to sum up my time at Samsung Innovation Campus, it was a journey of technological discovery, where I found myself as a woman in tech and science at the end. Now equipped with the technical knowledge and soft skills I gained during the course, it has given me the confidence to pursue a career in technology⎯and a clearer vision for my future.
What is the Samsung Innovation Campus?
Samsung Innovation Campus is a global education program that helps youth build advanced IT skills and practical capabilities to create better opportunities. The program offers structured AI education suitable for the digital age, along with hands-on training, expert mentoring, and instruction in key future technologies like big data and IoT. Tailored programs are available for marginalized groups such as people with disabilities and women, to expand access to IT education.
Graduates pursue various career paths including IT employment, tech-driven startups, and social impact initiatives. Since its launch in 2013, more than 204,000 youth in 40 countries have joined the program, using technology to design their future and realize greater potential.