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Tech-Girl Monthly: September 2015

Back to School


Google and Gallup released a new study, Searching for Computer Science: Access and Barriers in US K12 Education. What comes as no surprise from this study is that there is still a dearth of AP computer science courses available in high schools across the country, let alone computer science learning opportunities in elementary and middle school. What is surprising is that “many school and district administrators do not perceive a high level of demand for computer science education among students and parents in their communities”, while “two-thirds of parents think computer science should be required learning in schools.”

During my own research study, STEM Job Preparedness Pipeline: Addressing Education & Culture Locally, I  found this same disconnect between what was being taught in schools and what parents wanted to see, especially related to computer science & engineering education. I believe that grassroots dialog between parents, educators, tech entrepreneurs and community leaders is needed to bridge these gaps. I'm excited that in my community, women in education and technology have an opportunity to come together to participate in an important aspect of this dialog, Engaging Women and Girls in Tech, during the September 9 Charlottesville Women in Tech meetup.

Spotlight: Bio-Med Tech-Girls


Each month we spotlight a woman or girl in tech who inspires us. This month we are highlighting the Bio-Med Tech-Girls from 2015. On August 4, eleven high school students from the Charlottesville region and beyond embarked on the 2nd Annual Bio-Med Tech-Girls: UVA Exploratory Experience

During their time together they got hands on with tech at St. Anne's-Belfield School and heard from guest speakers including orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Nicole Deal, biomedical research scientist, Eileen Krepkovich and biomedical entrepreneur, Dasha Tyshlek. They got behind-the-scenes lab tours in the UVA Department of Biomedical Engineering. Most importantly, they took on a real-world biomedical engineering challenge and in the short span of four days, created an impressive array of prototypes that they presented in the i.Lab at UVA.

Read more.

Get Involved!

Are you ready to become a mentor or sponsor a Tech-Girl workshop? Can you help us get the word out or cater an event? However you would like to get involved, we need you! 

Activities & Events

Live & Local

  • September 9 - Back to School: Engaging Women & Girls in Tech. Join the Charlottesville Women in Tech's monthly meetup with a panel discussion that will focus on ways we can all help engage more women & girls in tech. Panel participants represent local organizations including Girls' Geek Day, Tech-Girls, UVA Ladies in the Lab, UVA GEMS and Girl Develop It. Register here.
  • September 9 - Make It @ the Library at 4:30pm. Kickstart your creativity in this Pop-up MakerSpace that meets on the second Wednesday of the month. September features Wearables with LEDs. Grades 6-12. Registration recommended. Call 434.979.7151 x4 to sign up.
  • September 15-November 15 - BioHack Academy from Open Bio Labs, a 10 week program where each week you build a piece of equipment and conduct a wet lab experiment. More info.
  • September 24 - Girls Geek Day Open House. Get a preview of the activities we'll be doing this year and learn how you can get involved as a parent, participant, volunteer, etc. The open house will take place from 6 to 7:30pm at Crozet Elementary School.
  • October 8 - CBIC Tech Tour. Open to middle and high school students from participating schools. Check to see if your school is on board the tour & sign up quickly. Spots are limited for this popular regional event!
  • October 17 - Girl Scouts Introduction to Chess. Participants will be treated to comments from Ms. Jennifer Yu, the 1st K-12 American to take a top prize in chess in 27th years. This event is FREE to all registered Girl Scouts (Daisy - Ambassador), but seating is limited so scouts MUST register. Non-members can also attend for a fee. Registration required.
  • October 22 & 23 - womenEtc. This annual women in tech conference in Richmond always features amazing speakers and great workshops. Registration required.
  • Ongoing - Charlottesville Women in Tech Meetup. If you are a mom of a Tech-Girl & want to connect with other female techies, please consider joining us at a monthly meetup. More info.
  • Ongoing - Girl Develop It Central VA. What better way to inspire your daughter, grand-daughter or niece to learn to code than to learn yourself. Girl Develop It Central VA offers beginner classes in Charlottesville and Harrisonburg for adults.
  • Ongoing - Playing Aces Chess is a group of teachers, parents, and interested community leaders who recognize the importance of developing critical and creative thinking skills in every student using chess. They hold chess events throughout the region. More info.
  • Ongoing - Tinkersmiths Makerspace hosts a wide range of workshops that are open to a variety of ages and experience levels. Check out their latest meetups.

Virtual & Global

  • September 1-October 26 - NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing applications openThis award honors young women at the high-school level for their computing-related achievements and interests. 
  • September 15 (details posted) - EngineerGirl Essay Contest.
  • October 9 (deadline) - CyberPatriot, National Youth Cyber Education Program. Middle and high school teams compete in online cyber challenges. More info.
  • Ongoing - Made with Code for classes & workshops geared toward girls.
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2015 Tech-Girls, This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
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