Technologist Talk Social Innovation Podcast Mini-Series Wins Silver and Gold
Getting girls interested in technology as a career from a young age is a huge priority for the tech industry. But how exactly do you do that? And how do you continue those efforts during a pandemic?
Creating IT Future’s Technologist Talk mini-series “Social Innovation in Action: TechShopz Pandemic Pivot” recently won silver and gold recognition from the 27th Annual Communicator Awards for doing just that. The podcast mini-series won gold for excellence in individual episodes promoting causes and awareness, and won silver for distinction in a series promoting diversity and inclusion.
The series of 3 podcasts talks about social innovation and how TechGirlz, a program of Creating IT Futures, practices this philanthropic discipline to inspire middle-school girls to explore careers working with technology. This mini-series describes social innovation in action in the words of the innovators who converted TechShopz workshops to virtual delivery at high speed, and then launched a new distance-learning option, TechPodz.
“TechPodz are a unique and timely addition to TechGirlz programming,” said Alicia Park, national outreach manager. “Our mission has always been to inspire girls to explore all the possibilities in technology while also providing the girls with a community of other girls with similar interests and mentors and role models in our volunteers.”
The addition of TechPodz allows TechGirlz to provide not only tech education, but also the opportunity to develop stronger connections with other girls who share the same interests.
The Communicator Awards is the leading international creative awards program honoring creative excellence for communication professionals. The 27th Annual Communicator Awards received more than 6,000 entries from across the U.S. and around the world. This recognition program is sponsored by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA).
In addition to this latest win, Technologist Talk also has earned its place on Forrester’s Top 100 Best Channel Podcasts of 2021. This is the second year Technologist Talk has appeared on the list.
Here are the 3 episodes in the award-winning mini-series. Listen how TechGirlz shifted gears to empower middle school girls to explore the possibilities of technology as a career.
Episode 31 – Talking Career Inspiration: How a Pandemic Pivot to Virtual TechShopz Reinforced TechGirlz’ Mission
For more than a decade TechGirlz, a nonprofit program of Creating IT Futures, has been inspiring middle-school girls to explore the possibilities of technology to empower their future careers through TechShopz – free, fun, interactive workshops bringing young women face-to-face with tech mentors. Then, COVID-19 struck, making in-person events impossible indefinitely. Listen as Amy Cliett explains how this unexpected operational challenge evolved into an unanticipated deepening of TechGirlz’ value.
Episode 33 – Talking Career Inspiration: Why a Pandemic is a Great Time to Volunteer to Lead One of TechGirlz’ TechShopz
Listen to Alicia Park, national outreach manager for TechGirlz, explain why volunteering to lead virtual TechShopz during the COVID-19 pandemic is vital to inspiring the next generation of women working in tech.
Episode 41 – Talking TechGirlz: How TechPodz Create Connection & Community in a Virtual Setting
Listen as Alicia Park, national outreach manager for TechGirlz, talks about the launch of TechPodz, a distance-learning technique that’s creating connection and community for middle school girls, their parents and their technologist mentors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Related Posts from Creating IT Futures
- TechGirlz and Cliett take national stage at SXSW EDU
- How Volunteers Work in Partnership with TechGirlz and Other Creating IT Futures Programs
- Technologist Talk “Social Innovation in Action” Podcast Mini-Series Takes the Gold
