Hello WiCS Students,
We hope your preparation for the upcoming midterm season is going productively and smoothly. February brings a pretty diverse and relaxed WiCS schedule, with many opportunities lined up for you to destress and create community during your Winter semester.
WiCS Events Overview:
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Student Industry Lunch | March 5th
Little WiCS Events Overview:
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Coffee Chat Roundtable | February 4th
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Galentine’s Day Cookie Decorating | February 11th
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Coca Coffee | February 25th
Other Opportunities:
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Technovation: CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS | January to April
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TechNova 6 Organizer Applications | Deadline: February 5th
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Big CSters Mentorship Program | Deadline: February 6th
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Wics & WiE x HAGO Period Care Kit Initiative | Deadline: February 1st – 23rd
WiCS Study Room:
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Request for a study room fob
WiCS Events:
Student Industry Lunch
Celebrate International Women’s Day over lunch with WiCS and our industry sponsors! Enjoy a sit-down meal while connecting with women in technical roles across a wide range of companies. Ask questions, hear real career stories, and build meaningful connections with professionals shaping the future of tech.
Date: March 5th
Time: 11:30AM – 1:00PM
Location: EIT 3142
Little WiCS Events:
Coffee Chat Roundtables
All students are invited to join a friendly round-table chat to make new friends, grab some food, and become part of the community. Students attending will be paired with upper year students to allow attendees to offer advice, share experiences and get to know one another.
Date: February 4th
Time: 4:30PM – 6:30PM
Location: E7 1427
Galentine’s Day Cookie Decorating
Join a fun, cozy Galentine’s Day event with an opportunity to decorate cookies, hang out and celebrate friendship. Come relax, get creative, and meet new people in the WiCS community! We will be providing cookies, decorations, and drinks.
Date: February 11th
Time: 4:30PM - 5:30 PM
Location: TBD (keep an eye out for updates on Instagram)
Cocoa Café
Take a break during midterm season to study or chill with the WiCS community while enjoying a warm cup of hot chocolate. We will be providing hot chocolate. Just bring yourself (and your notes, if you want)!
Date: February 25th
Time: TBD (keep an eye out for updates on Instagram)
Location: TBD (keep an eye out for updates on Instagram)
Other Opportunities:
Technovation CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
“I have acted as a Technovation Girls mentor since 2018, and every year I learn something new about leadership, teamwork, technology and thinking big! I am always amazed at how teams start from almost nothing and end up building something innovative and cool, having fun all the while.” – Ryan Dechamps, Technovation Mentor
The Waterloo Technovation Chapter relies on volunteers to make our program happen! There are several different positions with varying time commitments we need volunteers for:
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Mentor: work directly with one or more teams, supporting them through every step of the competition!
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Time Commitment: 1-2 hours/week per team from February to April, + 3 hours for training in January
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Ideal for anyone 18+ with a passion for mentoring youth in tech!
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Coach: help teams with topic-specific questions related to your area of expertise!
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Time Commitment: 1+ hours (depending on the number of workshops signed up for)
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Ideal for graduate students, professors, and industry professionals
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Event Volunteer: help to facilitate our in-person events!
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Time Commitment: 3 hours/event
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Ideal for students
TechNova 6 Organizer Applications
If you are interested in gaining leadership experience, building community, and helping organize one of the largest women targeted tech events of the year, we encourage you to apply. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with an amazing team and make a real impact in tech. Check out our notion page for more details! TechNova Notion
Application Deadline: February 5th
Big CSters Mentorship Program
WiCS are still looking for mentors to share their experiences with our WiCS Big CSters Mentorship Program! This is an amazing opportunity for upper years to share your valuable experiences and advice with younger students, as well as to gain leadership skills and networks. Mentees will gain insights into navigating university and early careers! Forms are due February 6th, so do not be afraid to sign up ASAP.
Mentors can sign up here:
Register Here
Mentees can sign up here:
Wics & WiE x Help a Girl Out Period Care Kit Initiative
WiCS is proud to support Women in Engineering (WiE) for the Help a Girl Out (HAGO) initiative! Help a Girl Out (HAGO) is a local charity dedicated to addressing period poverty and reducing menstrual stigma in our community.
Fundraiser Goal: Collecting essential menstrual care items that will be assembled into period care kits for women experiencing financial hardship, housing instability, or other challenges.
For more on the initiative, visit WiCS’s Instagram. Donation Dropbox is present in the WiCS Study Room or Room 2509!
Collection Deadline: February 1st – February 23rd
Event Day: February 24th (Panel discussion & Packing Party to assemble period care kits)
WiCS Innovation Fund
The WiCS Innovation Fund supports student-initiated activities such as hackathons, workshops, conferences, and more that uplift women and non-binary students in computing. WiCS still has funding available for one Winter 2026 initiative and is currently seeking one Spring 2026 initiative to award one Innovation Fund grant. If you are interested, email wics@uwaterloo.ca with a brief explanation of the use (e.g., organizing an event, attending a conference or hackathon) and what you hope to gain.
DISCLAIMER:
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The Fund supports future events only (not past events)
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For the foreseeable future, WiCS funds cannot be used for travel to the United States to attend a DEI event.
WiCS Study Room
WiCS study room is the perfect study spot, with features like:
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Full-Size Refrigerator
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Microwave
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Formal study space (2 worktables and 8 chairs)
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Informal study space (a high-backed sofa and stools that can serve as additional seating or as side tables).
To claim YOUR study spot
Resources
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WiCS Feedback Form Whether you have concerns, suggestions, or ideas, we want to hear from you. Express yourself openly without revealing your identity. We are here to listen.
That’s all for this month. We hope to see you at one of our events!
Manya Govindugari
WiCS Event Facilitator
Women in Computer Science
University of Waterloo