65 middle school students, their families, and volunteers learn about female pioneers at NASA.
On Wednesday, January 4, a delegation from TechGirlz, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering middle school girls to be future technology leaders, attended a preview Hidden Figures at Philadelphia’s United Artists Riverview Plaza Stadium 17. TechGirlz Students, their families, and volunteers heard the true story of three African American women who were instrumental to NASA’s launch of John Glenn into orbit.
“When young girls see women in STEM careers on-screen, they can see themselves in STEM careers in real life,” said Tracey Welson-Rossman, founder of TechGirlz. “The media has the power to show girls that tech isn’t just for men, especially in the case of true stories like Hidden Figures.”
“This movie is important because I want to be an engineer,” said TechGirlz student Angel Bird. “You don’t hear and see a lot of stories of real women who were this instrumental in creating history.”
Invited by event organizers at Allied Integrated Marketing, TechGirlz shared the experience with other special guests including EBONY technology writer Stephanie Humphrey, WDAS’ Patty Jackson and Chio in the Morning’s Nicole Michalik.
Beyond special events like Hidden Figures, TechGirlz regularly serves middle school girls by offering free workshops on different kinds of technology, showing them varied career options, and connecting them with professionals in technology fields. For more information, visit http://www.techgirlz.org/.
About TechGirlz
TechGirlz (www.TechGirlz.org) inspires middle school girls to explore the possibilities of technology. 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.