Written by volunteer writer Amy Freeman

High school student and TechGirlz Teen Volunteer Radhika G. loves to build websites in her free time. She believes websites are powerful tools that unite people and allow individuals to share their ideas and thoughts with the world. Recently, Radhika had an opportunity to share her excitement for creating websites with a group of middle school girls. She was a TA during a Make A Website Using WordPress Virtual TechShop.

Although it wasn’t the first time Radhika served as a TA during a TechShop, it was her first time working with the topic. She’s used WordPress while building websites on her own and revisited the content management system prior to the workshop to prepare for it and to re-familiarize herself with the system’s features. She recommends anyone who wants to teach the topic in the future do the same.

The TechShop covered the fundamentals of WordPress and was an eye-opener for many of the girls who attended, as a few of them came to the virtual workshop without any idea of how websites are made. “At the end, however, it was delightful to see the girls’ confidence and interest in creating websites!” Radhika said.

The girls taking the workshop weren’t the only people who learned a few things. Radhika was impressed by the ideas many of the girls had for websites. “The girls truly opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of websites that can be created,” she said.

They “came up with amazing ideas … which were great to see. For instance, one of the girls made meditation the focus of her website. Seeing all of the girls’ creativity taught me a lot about the possibilities websites have to offer!”

When asked for advice for anyone who might teach the same TechShop or a similar topic in the future, Radhika recommends going slowly, both to give the workshop attendees time to grasp the concepts being taught and accommodate any technical hiccups that can be present during a virtual session.

Taking “ample time to explain directions” is crucial, according to Radhika, as it can be easy for some of the girls to get lost between steps.

All in all, Radhika says that the “workshop was a blast to teach!” She looks forward to the opportunity to teach it again and hearing more girls say what one student noted at the end of the workshop, “I learned a lot and I love being able to implement my own passion into a website.”

Interested in leading your own virtual TechShop? Learn more about volunteering with TechGirlz today!