Reaching the High School Girls Who Didn’t See Themselves in Tech

Among the various STEM education organizations that have developed throughout the last several years, there is ChickTech. The local Austin chapter of the nonprofit began just a few years ago, and Dana DeFebbo, its Assistant Director, discusses how ChickTech Austin reaches out to high school girls who might not have had opportunities in tech. Dana talks about the challenges and rewards of running an all-volunteer program like this and her hopes for its future. Related to this episode: • Chicktech Austin: https://austin.chicktech.org/ • ChickTech: https://chicktech.org/ • OSCON, Open Source Convention: https://conferences.oreilly.com/oscon/oscon-or • Microbits: https://microbit.org/ • Girlstart: https://girlstart.org/ • Previous podcast with GirlStart: http://www.k12engineering.net/transcripts/ep21.html • Android development curriculum App Inventor from MIT: http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/ • ACT-W Conferences: http://www.act-w.org/ • Lilypad Arduino: https://store.arduino.cc/usa/lilypad-arduino-main-board • Article on Apple’s Global Volunteer Program: https://www.macrumors.com/2015/03/16/apple-launches-global-volunteer-program/ • Microsoft employee giving program: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/philanthropies/employee-engagement Our closing music is “Yes And” by Steve Combs, used under a Creative Commons Attribution License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Subscribe and find more podcast information at: http://www.k12engineering.net. Support Pios Labs with regular donations on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pioslabs, or send one-time contributions by buying us coffee: https://ko-fi.com/pioslabs. Thanks to our donors and listeners for making the show possible. The K12 Engineering Education Podcast is a production of Pios Labs: http://www.pioslabs.com.