International events on March 3 will feature workshops, prizes, and more.
February 21, 2018 (Philadelphia) – TechGirlz, a nonprofit organization inspiring middle school girls to pursue diverse technology careers, is approaching a major milestone on March 3: reaching 10,000 girls across the globe through its tech workshops and summer camps. To mark the day, TechGirlz will host a series of free workshops in nine states.
Currently scheduled workshops include:
- Program with Kodu in Denver, CO
- Tell Your Story with Graphics in Chicago, IL
- Making a Website Using HTML/CSS in Chicago, IL
- What’s Inside a Computer? in Downers Grove, IL
- Make an Animated Bracelet with micro:bit in Philadelphia, PA
- Scratch & Raspberry Pi in Philadelphia, PA
- Animation & Graphics with Python in Raleigh, NC
- Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fabric Design in Raleigh, NC
- Infographics: Proving Your Point With Pictures, Oak Ridge, TN
- Python Programming, New Orleans, LA
- Web Concepts, Aberdeen, MD
The day’s events will be streamed live on TechGirlz’s Facebook page at 12pm EST, as participants celebrate with cake, party decorations, and commemorative t-shirts. Additionally, the girls will have the chance to win raffle items such as a drone, Princess Awesome merchandise, TechGirlz Swag, Makey Makey kits, micro:bit kits, and Franklin Institute passes.
TechGirlz was first founded in 2010 by Tracey Welson-Rossman. As the CMO of a software development firm, Chariot Solutions, Tracey became frustrated by the lack of female candidates available to hire. Women, she knew, had the skills to succeed in technology but were missing out on its lucrative opportunities. She set out to break the cycle by focusing on early engagement. Responding to findings that the STEM gender gap begins in middle school, Tracey set out to instill girls with technology skills, confidence, and passion at this critical age.
As demand for its Philadelphia workshops skyrocketed, TechGirlz introduced “TechShopz in a Box.” This open source curriculum allows anyone, anywhere to organize workshops that explore diverse topics from podcasting, to robotics, to fashion or video game design. These workshops – and initiatives like its annual summer camp – challenge and excite girls while showing them that there is more to technology than software development and coding.
Since its inception, TechGirlz’s imprint has increased dramatically. During the 2012-2013 school year, TechGirlz reached 165 girls through 11 workshops. In the most recent school year, 2016-2017, it reached 3,800 girls in 38 states and 14 countries. TechGirlz has also been honored with various accolades, including Rad Girls’ 2017 Nonprofit of the Year Award. For more information on TechGirlz’s impact, visit http://www.techgirlz.org/annual-reports/.
Support for TechGirlz’s March 3 celebrations is provided by Chariot Solutions, Core Innovation Capital, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Philadelphia Alliance for Technology and Capital (PACT), TMNA and Slice Communications.
For more information on TechGirlz’s 10,000 Girlz celebration, visit http://www.techgirlz.org/10000-girlz/.
About TechGirlz
TechGirlz (www.TechGirlz.org) inspires young women to shatter the statistics. The organization’s aim is to help adolescent girls understand that a future in technology does not necessarily equate to “a boring computer job,” but instead transcends the cubicle into nearly every field imaginable. By encouraging women to participate in science and technology today, as well as providing a solid foundation of peers, mentors and positive role models, TechGirlz hopes to spark innovation, exhilaration and motivation in young women to become tomorrow’s tech leaders.
