Written by volunteer writer Amy Freeman

Do you have to be an expert to volunteer at a TechGirlz workshop? Absolutely not!

Navya Alva, a member of the TechGirlz Southern Teen Advisory Board (TAB) and a former workshop attendee herself, recently assisted at a TechShop that introduced girls to Raspberry Pi, a single-board computer, as well as the coding software Scratch.

Before teaching the workshop, Navya had never worked with Raspberry Pi. ” I first learned the skills through the TechGirlz curriculum,” she said.

Although working with Raspberry Pi was new to her, Navya is no stranger to technology. She went to TechGirlz workshops when she was in middle school and has also taken web design and programming courses. She’s a member of a robotics team, which lets her work hands-on with cool tech.

She credits TechGirlz for helping her get into technology in the first place. “TechGirlz is making a huge difference in girls’ lives and is one of the main reasons I’m interested in STEM,” she said.

Perhaps most importantly, “the workshops are a blast!” she added.

Navya was impressed with Pi and said that it was easy to learn while also showing how coding and tech can be fun.

“I think if we can introduce this to more young girls it can definitely inspire a love of STEM,” she said.

One of the best parts of the TechShop for Navya was getting to see the looks on the girls’ faces when their code worked. She also loved seeing the creative ways they used Scratch and Pi. She was thrilled that many of the girls were excited to keep using it once the workshop was over.

If you’re interested in teaching the Scratch and Raspberry Pi workshop yourself, Navya has some advice. “Be ready to troubleshoot with some of the common errors such as connecting the wrong wires or inputting the wrong code, she said. “Otherwise, everything is really easy to pick up and it is a very exciting workshop.”

Interested in leading or assisting at an upcoming TechShop? Check out our volunteer opportunities!