Topics
Browse Our Library of TechShop Topics
TechShopz in a Box™ are free workshop plans, documents, and guides based on TechGirlz’ tried-and-true workshops. They make it easy for anyone, anywhere to run a hands-on workshop for middle school girls. As a result of this program, the number of girls we’ve reached has more than tripled – and with your help, we can make that number grow.
If you have questions about running your own TechShopz in a Box™, we recommend reading the PlayBook for guidance. Additionally, you can contact info@techgirlz.org with any other issues or questions.
Instructor Difficulty Levels

BASIC
Instructor needs little to no experience with this topic’s main ideas, terminology, or hardware.

INTERMEDIATE
Instructor should have some prior knowledge or experience with this topic’s main ideas, languages, or hardware (or be up for learning a new topic!)

ADVANCED
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Think Like a Digital Designer: Unplugged
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will learn how researchers, designers and developers use design thinking to create digital experiences like the ones in their favorite apps!

YOU Can Code!
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will use Blockly, a drag and drop language to interface with the memory of the computer.

Web Accessibility and Screen Readers
Under Construction
Use a screen reader to explore website accessibility concepts and techniques.

Game Design with Kodu
Students will be introduced to Kodu, a game creation environment that uses a visual programming language.

Web Concepts
💻 Available Virtually!
This workshop is a brief introduction to how websites work, how they are built, and how to become a person who builds websites.

Designing Mobile Apps
💻 Available Virtually!
Students will work in teams to design a mobile app. They will select an app idea, develop a prototype, and present their final product to the class.

Make a Website Using WordPress
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will create their own website using WordPress. They will learn how to set up a WordPress.com website and add their own content via web pages, and posts.

Tell Your Story with Graphics!
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will observe that infographics are often used to raise awareness or sell products in social media, and are more easily searched and viewed on the Pinterest platform.

Code & Play Your Own Game with Makey Makey, Scratch and a DIY Game Controller
In this workshop, students will use a Makey Makey Inventor’s kit to build a custom keyboard out of unconventional conductive materials, such as fruit and Play-Doh.

You Can Be a Photographer: Photography for Marketing Updated! 🎉
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will learn how to put a sunset and a starry night sky into the background of their photographs, as well as some other fun effects using (PIXLR) and PhotoLayers.

Mapping for Humanity: Using Digital Mapping to Better the World
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will learn how satellite images, collected by various agencies around the world, can be used to help global humanity.

Make an Animated Bracelet with Micro:bit Updated! 🎉
In this workshop, students will use the micro:bit’s drag and drop interface, MakeCode, to learn how to code the device.

Game Design With Flowcharts New! 🎉
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will create an original game “road map” using flowcharts created with Draw.io, a free online flowchart making software.

Internet Safety: How to Stay Safe Online New! 🎉
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will complete some simple online exercises to learn how to be a good and cautious digital citizen and help keep them and their families safe.

Podcasting
💻 Available Virtually!
This workshop plan familiarizes students with podcasting software, such as Audacity or Garageband, followed by creating a simple, personal podcast recording.

Lights, Camera, Action: Storytelling and Video Production
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will learn how to construct stories and learn techniques to produce/edit photo and video content using mobile devices.

Make a Website Using HTML/CSS
💻 Available Virtually!
Students will learn the elements of HTML and CSS and use them to create a website.

Animation & Graphics with Python
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will learn fundamental concepts of computer graphics and animation through fun Python programming activities.

Scratch & Raspberry Pi
Under Construction
Students will learn about simple electronic circuits (power, resistors, lights, and switches) and simple programming constructs (in “if…then…” scenarios).

Creating Your Own Games with GameMaker
Students will learn how to use GameMaker Studio, an intuitive program for the creation of electronic games.

Intro to Encryption – How to Protect Your Information
💻 Available Virtually!
Learn how to protect private information and what kind of information should be protected while exploring encryption.

Introduction to JavaScript
💻 Available Virtually!
In this course, students will learn the basic concepts of JavaScript, learn to talk directly to their website, and create their own JavaScript program using Chrome Developer Tools and LaunchBox.

Create Your Own Map Using Open Data and CARTO
Using free online software and publicly available data (open data), students will explore concepts and tools used in creating maps.

Intro to Arduino Programming
In this workshop, students will get hands-on with their own Arduino to create projects using sensors and light displays. No coding experience is required.

MATLAB Motion Tracking
Explore how computers and video combine to capture motion and analyze movement using machine learning.

Unleash Your Inner DJ With Audacity
This workshop guides students through the thrilling process of leaving their personal mark on a piece of popular music by utilizing professional remixing strategies.

How Engineers Solve Problems Using Tinkercad and 3D Printing
Using a template, students will design a 3D boat and use engineering techniques to assess, replicate, and improve a design.

What’s Inside a Computer?
Let students explore what is inside a computer by taking one apart – all you need is a computer and a screwdriver!

Photoshop
In this workshop, students will be introduced to Photoshop and its basic functions/tools.

Computer Programming with C++ Updated! 🎉
💻 Available Virtually!
This workshop reviews basic programming concepts using C++, such as data types, arrays, and functions.

Entrepreneur Summer Camp
This Entrepreneur Summer Camp puts the tools and technology used to create a business plan and prototype into the hands of 6th-9th graders.

Intro to Game Development with Unity (Session 1 & 2)
In these sessions, students will learn how to use Unity, a professional software used to create many popular games today, to create a 2D game and learn the basics of real game creation along the way.

Using Computer Simulations to Help Solve Complex Problems
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will learn about computer simulations and create their own simulations of an epidemic and what factors make it spread faster or stop, which we like more.

Solving Genetic Mysteries with Online Tools and Family Histories
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop students will learn about the free technologies available to examine genes and visualize a family tree!

How Computers Talk: Introduction to Network Communications
Students will learn the basics of network communications, how computers communicate via these networks and network security.

Models and Molecules
In this workshop, students will work with different types of molecular models. Students will learn how scientists use these to understand synthetic and natural molecules, including those of living organisms.

Introduction to Virtual Reality (VR)
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will learn about how VR works, create 360 degree photos and code up their very own virtual world using simple JavaScript.

Forking, Cloning and Creating a Website with Git/GitHub
In this workshop, students will pull a clone of a web page from a GitHub code repository and work to edit the webpage.

SQL and Databases
💻 Available Virtually!
Students will use online tools to experiment with SQL (Structured Query Language) to learn about the way databases work and how to store, find, and create data in them.

A Day in the Life of a Web Designer
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will learn all the different responsibilities that come with the title and become a web designer for the day.

Programming Edison Robots using Python
In this workshop, students will have the opportunity to learn about robots, explore Edison and program it in Python to avoid obstacles or follow a line.

Text Mining: How Companies Analyze Online Reviews
In this workshop, students will understand how word maps are used in powerful ways to communicate ideas through a picture.

Cybersecurity Basics: How to Manage Cyber Risks
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will learn about why cybersecurity is important and the practices and tools that can help people and organizations protect their critical information.

3D Computer Graphics & Animation with Clara.io New! 🎉
In this workshop, students will learn the basics of 3D computer graphics. They will create a 3D model of an airplane using Clara.io and add animation and additional features of their choice to the design.

Data Privacy: How to Protect Your Personal Information New! 🎉
💻 Available Virtually!
This workshop will provide an overview of web security, network security, and social media privacy through hands-on activities with network packet analysis, personal information requests, and more.

Artificial Intelligence: How Computers Learn
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will learn about how machine learning techniques such as artificial neural networks learn from data to answer real world questions.

Build Your Own Voice App with VoiceFlow
💻 Available Virtually!
Students will learn how to build a voice app, which will include learning how to properly use variables, conditional logic, and the flow configuration of program blocks within the VoiceFlow software.

Find Answers Fast with NoSQL Databases like MongoDB
💻 Available Virtually!
Using examples around NoSQL databases students will learn different database language subsets, how information is stored in MongoDB, and how to use DDL commands.

Investigate Water Pollution Sources using ArcGIS Online
💻 Available Virtually!
This workshop uses a combination of a water quality dataset and an online map-making tool to investigate where a fictitious source of groundwater pollution (based on real world data) may be originating.

Python Programming Updated! 🎉
💻 Available Virtually!
Students will learn the basics of Python programming including: simple data types (e.g., floats, integers, strings, and lists), comparisons, if-statements, and loops.

3D Jewelry Design with Tinkercad & 3D Manufacturing
Students will learn the basics of 3D modeling, will learn about the different types of professional 3D modeling software available and will walk away with an understanding of how small jewelry designers use 3D to design and manufacture.

3D Printing: Slicing & Design Using CAD
Download 3D printable designs and guide students through editing the designs and printing their creations in plastic. Students will learn about 3D printing principles, importing and adapting open source designs, and creation of designs from scratch.

Developing Virtual Reality using TinkerCAD, Unreal Engine, and Sketchfab
In this workshop you are invited to learn about how Virtual Reality works by learning to create simple 3D objects in a free online application, TinkerCAD.

Robotics Programming with Lego Mindstorms NXT & EV3
This lesson covers what robots are and how to program and control them using computer code. Students will use pre-made LEGO Mindstorm robots to learn basic programming techniques in NXT-G 2.0 or EV3 by completing specific tasks

“Superuser Do,” Games, Puzzles & More with Linux
During this workshop students will learn the basics of Linux through a variety of games and puzzles that introduce command lines.

Engineering and Roller Coasters
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will learn to think and design like an engineer by utilizing the engineering process to design a roller coaster using pipe insulation, marbles, and objects within the room.

Arduino Programming Camp
During the week-long day camp, students will build an obstacle avoiding robot controlled with an Arduino microcontroller.

Architecture and Design: Build Your Own 3D House New! 🎉
💻 Available Virtually!
In this workshop, students will be introduced to the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction industry where they will discover the different types of engineers, designers, and workers that go into designing a building.

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Devices
In this workshop, students will achieve a better understanding of the Internet of Things (IoT) through a hands on activity building a circuit, programming firmware, and creating a web page to control a light emitting diode (LED).
Hear from Volunteers
Check out some of our volunteers’ experiences with teaching girls technology by reading their TechShop Recaps. Their stories depict how rewarding volunteering with TechGirlz is and why anyone should try and can teach a TechShop in their own community.
Want to share your experience volunteering with TechGirlz? Reach out to alicia@techgirlz.org.