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Tech-Girl Monthly:  Sep/Oct 2021

International Day of the Girl

October 11 was the International Day of the Girl and the 9th anniversary of the founding of Tech-Girls. Looking back at the first Tech-Girl Monthly, I am reminded of the words that Archbiship Desmond Tutu shared at inaugural International Day of the Girl UN event - "You have started something that is going to make this a better world. We are on the winning side." In 2012 an idea was planted on the international stage as well as in Charlottesville - that the investment in and empowerment of girls is critical to all of us.

The good news is that the needle is moving toward equity in computer science. For example, in 2010, women earned just 18% of the CS bachelor's degrees in the United States. Ten years later, there has been an increase overall in both men and women studying CS in college and women make up 21% of these graduates (NCWIT Scorecard). Still, there's a lot of work to do. This newsletter highlights several young women who have been participants, mentors, and role models with Tech-Girls. It has been my honor and privilege to work with them, the Charlottesville Women in Tech board members, the Tech-Girls committee, and so many others in and around Charlottesville who have cared for and nourished the seed of the idea of Tech-Girls into reality.

STEM Mission Possible: 2 Girls & Robotics!

Aditi Prakash and Rimi Kaur are both 2021 Albemarle High School graduates, who caught the STEM bug at an early age. Aditi, has been on the robotics team since 5th grade while Rimi was introduced to robotics in middle school. For her, robotics is intriguing because it involves so many different STEM-related components, “first you have to build the various parts of the robot and then you program it — it has such wide application”.

Spotlight: Isabel Humphreys

Each month we spotlight a woman or girl in tech who inspires us. This month we are highlighting Isabel Humphreys. Isabel is a junior in high school who has a love for computer science and problem solving. Kim and Sarah sat down with Isabel on the Once Upon a Tech podcast to learn more about her how she came to love computer science and why she mentors young women to help them see a place for themselves in STEM. Check out the podcast episode here.

MozFest ambassador update


The MozFest call for proposals (CFP) is open now through November 5! MozFest is a unique event for anyone interested in joining the movement to fight for a more humane digital world! MozFest will be held online March 7-10. You can find a lot of support from Mozilla for proposing a session. We are looking for proposals from students and teachers passionate about a tech future that is equitable, sustainable, and humane!

Activities & Events

 

Live & Local

  • October 15 (deadline) - SWE @ UVA High School Visitation on November 20. Spend the day taking part in lab tours, majors fair, design activities, and a professional panel. These events give the students a look at the different engineering fields as well as the engineering design process, and can help the students decide if they would like to pursue STEM in the future. More info.
  • October 16 - DIGITAL (Dukes Inspiring Girls In Technology Across Limits) event helps 9-12 grade girls step into the life of a computer scientist through workshops and networking.
    More info.
  • November 6 & 7 - Girls Hoo Hack is a virtual 48-hour hackathon hosted by Girls Who Code at UVA that aims to foster a community of diverse thought and skill. Coders of all levels of experience have the opportunity to work together with teams and mentors, attend educational workshops, and code action-oriented projects that reflect innovation, diverse perspectives, and empowerment. It is also open to high school students. More info.
  • Tech-Girls - Create a New Story! What's it like to work in tech? Find out from folks working in tech right here in Charlottesville. Tech-Girls is excited to launch Create a New Story in collaboration with Charlottesville Women in Tech, Charlottesville Business Innovation Council and Spark CS from St. Anne's-Belfield School to help you create your story in tech!
  • C4K - combines mentoring and technology to prepare youth for brighter futures. Participation is free and open to all students in 6th-12th grades who are eligible for free or reduced lunches at school.
  • KidsCollege@PVCC After-School Academies offers online programming Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday and in-person Saturday mornings for 3rd-12th Graders. More info.
  • STEAM Discovery Academy - find after school programming and summer programming (for a fee).
  • Albemarle SWENext - Albemarle High School's Society of Women Engineers is a community of women who are passionate about engineering and STEM as a whole, and spreading the idea that engineering is for everyone.

Virtual & Global

  • October 11 - International Day of the Girl, focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights. More info.
  • October 13 - Ada Lovelace Day launched in 2009 to celebrate women in STEM and encourage girls and women to pursue STEM careers. More info.
  • October 30 - Hacking for Life Below Water. Join Random Hacks of Kindness Junior to design and create apps that address the impact of plastic waste has on Life Below Water. Experience first hand how you can use technology to create positive change. Registration info (4-8th grade).
  • November 1 (deadline) - Congressional App Challenge is open to middle and high school students as individuals or up to a team of four. More info.
  • November 5 (deadline) - MozFest 2022 Call for Proposals (CFP) is open. MozFest is a unique event for anyone interested in joining the movement to fight for a more humane digital world! MozFest will be held online March 7-10. Youth led sessions are invited and encouraged!  More info.
  • November 5 (deadline) - NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing applications will open soon for young women in grades 9 through 12. If you have an interest in computing, this is an awesome way to get recognized, get a scholarship and get connected with other women who have a passion for tech. More info.
  • November 13 - Hacking for Mobility with Go Baby Go. Join Random Hacks of Kindness Junior and CCSU Professor Michele Dischino to create apps that address the mobility issues for young children with mobility disabilities. Experience first hand how you can use technology to create positive change. Registration info (4-8th grade).
  • December 11 - Hacking for Pediatric Cancer. Join Random Hacks of Kindness Junior and Mairead Finn, whose youngest daughter, Vivienne, died from Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) (a rare tumor of the brainstem ) to create apps that address pediatric cancer. Experience first hand how you can use technology to create positive change. Registration info (4-8th grade).
  • Black Girls Code - find workshops, coding clubs, and hackathons happening around the country.
  • Girls Who Code - find clubs, summer immersion and code at home activities.
  • The Connectory - find an opportunity near you to connect your child to STEM learning.
  • TechGirlz Virtual Workshops - find free CS workshops for girls in middle school.

Get Involved!


Tech-Girls is a program from Charlottesville Women in Tech, a non-profit in Charlottesville, VA. The mission of Tech-Girls is to empower girls to imagine and achieve their future dreams in our tech-savvy world. You can help inspire the next generation of women in tech by becoming a volunteer. You do not need to be a tech expert to be involved. Come learn with the girls!
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2021 Tech-Girls, This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
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