Tech-Girl Monthly: March 2015

Thatâ€™s the theme of this yearâ€™s International Womenâ€™s Day on March 8 and it certainly feels like the picture is getting clearer with regard to addressing the gender gap in tech. Locally, we have seen the founding of the Charlottesville Women in Tech group and the establishment of a Central VA chapter of Girl Develop It. The Girlsâ€™ Geek Days have expanded from one session at one school three years ago to six sessions across four schools. Our biggest session is coming up on March 7 with 75 girls! Women United Together in Philanthropy helped broaden the conversation with their Why So Few: Closing the STEM Gender Gap panel discussion.

Globally, the UN Women are highlighting the need to take action to end the technology gender gap around the world with their Be the Spark! campaign. â€œA global technology revolution is taking place, and if women and girls arenâ€™t part of it, the future for womenâ€™s human rights is bleak.â€ You can also catch up online with recent conversations about the gender gap in tech at Harvard Graduate School of Education (A Space of Their Own? Girls, Women & STEM) and Georgetown Law (Front and Center: Bringing Marginalized Girls into Focus in STEM and CTE).

Activities & Events

Live & Local

March 7 - Girls Geek Day @ Baker-Butler Elementary School (9am to noon). This event is open to all ages, but if you are a 3rd grader or younger, please plan on bringing one of your parents too. Registration required.

March 11 - Make It @ the Library at 4:30pm. Kickstart your creativity in this Pop-up MakerSpace that meets on the second Wednesday of the month. March features Architecture Challenge - Legos & More. Grades 6-12. This is a drop in event - more info.

March 13-15 - Virginia Scholastic & Collegiate Chess Championship. Monticello High School. More info.

March 19 (deadline) - Applications due for the Genius Hour Innovators at TomTom Founders Festival. More info.

March 29 - Middle School Girls in Engineering Science Exploration Day at UVAâ€™s engineering school. Registration is first-come, first-serve.

April 6-10 - Spring Break Academies @ PVCC offering lots of tech-related courses. More info.

April 8 - Make It @ the Library at 4:30pm. Kickstart your creativity in this Pop-up MakerSpace that meets on the second Wednesday of the month. April features T-shirt Decoration. Grades 6-12. This is a drop in event - 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 - Tinkersmiths Makerspace hosts a wide range of workshops that are open to a variety of ages and experience levels. Check out their latest meetups.

Summer Camps!

July 6 - 10, 13 - 17 & 20 - 24 - Tech Camp @ STAB. This brand new tech camp experience led by Kim Wilkens, the founder of Tech-Girls, is open to all! Create electronic cards, light up your clothes, make an app, design a game, code a song, mod Minecraft - the possibilities truly are endless at Tech Camp @ STAB. Weekly camps are available for rising 2nd thru 12th graders and run from 9am to 4pm. Space is limited so register soon (scholarships are available).

June 15 - August 14 - KidsCollege@PVCC offers a wide variety of week-long project-based STEM and Arts-based classes all summer long. Rising 3rd thru 9th graders. Registration info.

Virtual & Global

March 30 (deadline extended) - National STEM Video Game Challenge. A game design competition for middle & high school students. More info.

April 3 (deadline) - K-12 JMU Physics Video Contest. Put some STEAM into your science curriculum by giving your students the opportunity to explore and demonstrate their understanding of physics concepts through video. Submission guidelines

Ongoing - Made with Code for classes & workshops geared toward girls.