TechGirlz Workshop: Inspiring the Next Generation of Women STEM Professionals

The Problem

When I was in middle school, I wanted nothing to do with technology. All of my computer classes were taught by men, and my friends that were interested in computer science were all guys. In a world where we are reminded to be ourselves, there are middle schoolers who want nothing more than to fit in (thanks a lot, spotlight effect). I was certainly partial to that.

It wasn’t until I became much older and embarked into the technical world that I learned how much of an issue this really was. I felt like I missed out by not learning about this world sooner. Microsoft laid out the problem simply:

“While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that technology professionals will experience the highest growth in job numbers between now and 2030, only a fraction of girls and women are likely to pursue degrees that enable them to fulfill these news jobs.”

The reasons range from peer pressure, to a lack of role models and support from parents as well as teachers, to a general misperception of what STEM careers look like in the real world.”

As you can read, there’s need for intervention.

An NPO dedicated to the solution

TechGirlz is a nonprofit program that inspires middle school girls to explore the possibilities of technology to empower their future careers. I had the honor and privilege of facilitating a workshop for designing mobile applications. While speaking to and helping these young women visualize their brilliant ideas, it hit me just how important it is for them to see women in the field. Something I couldn’t help but think would have inspired me at their age. As they began to sketch out their app ideas, they grew with excitement. As did I, with the hope that they will beat the statistic and all continue their interest in STEM - a group of fields that will yield a stable income and professional growth for those who partake.

I encourage folks to see how they can contribute to this worthy cause: https://www.techgirlz.org/volunteer/

Source: https://news.microsoft.com/features/why-do-girls-lose-interest-in-stem-new-research-has-some-answers-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/