The European Girls' Olympiad, or EGOI for short, takes place in a different country every year. The competition is aimed at schoolgirls with an interest and talent for computer science. The EGOI participants are given special support by coaches who train them for the competition.
One of these coaches is Katherina Bade. The computer science student is currently completing her seventh semester of her Bachelor's degree at Otto von Guericke University and is supporting participating schoolgirls (on a voluntary basis) in preparation for the competition.
How Katharina became a coach
As a schoolgirl, she herself had formative experiences with the European Girls' Olympiad “During my time at school, I took part in the national computer science competition and qualified for the German team for the first EGOI. I was able to enjoy months of special support, which had a huge impact on me and my life. Above all, my final participation in the EGOI was a great highlight. Since then, I want to offer other girls the same opportunities that I was able to enjoy back then and show them that they are not alone in computer science,” says Katharina.
Her tasks as a volunteer mainly involve selecting and training the EGOI team. “We provide weekly online training via the Discord chat service from September to June. We are also the constant point of contact for participants with any questions they may have about the competitions, programming and computer science,” explains the student. Katharina and her team organize training camps several times a year in order to create space for both practising and exchanging ideas. Her commitment has also brought with it many challenges.
About challenges and highlights
Katharina remembers: “In the past, we were often simply too few coaches for the number of training sessions and participants. Offering four weekly training sessions with two coaches each for almost a whole year can sometimes be quite difficult. Fortunately, there are now significantly more of us and we have super committed coaches! And no matter how exhausting it can be at times, the camps and the Olympics at the end of the training year are the absolute highlights,” says the computer science student.
The moments when the students want to learn additional topics and algorithms on their own initiative or tackle tasks that initially seem difficult are particularly memorable for Katharina. “Accompanying the participants through this process and seeing their stamina and willpower is incredibly impressive every time,” she says.
It's worth taking part
“The BWINF occasionally advertises positions as student assistants for interested students who would like to get involved in computer science competitions. Anyone who would like to volunteer to support the Olympic training, for example, can contact the BWINF or existing volunteers at any time.”
Katharina Bade also has an appeal for schoolgirls who would like to take part in the competition: “The most important thing is never to give up or underestimate yourself. It's best to start with the simplest tasks and work your way up slowly. There are also preparatory camps or training sessions for many competitions - I can only recommend these to everyone. Practicing and learning together for the same goal is priceless. Training for the EGOI is open and free for everyone,” concludes the student.