Girls in Technology

Girls in Technology programs are designed to create awareness, excitement, educate and inspire girls in grades 6 through 12 to the vast array of opportunities available to women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
 
Girls in Technology (GIT) is led by a committee of Women in Technology (WIT) members that are dedicated to instilling confidence and professionalism in our young women throughout the metropolitan DC area.  The GIT committee is comprised of corporate executives and entrepreneurs who volunteer their time to make a difference in the lives of our future generation.

Programs are made possible through the support and generosity of corporate sponsorship and WIT’s Education Foundation.  Support can take many forms such as providing mentors and speakers, assisting with program and curriculum development, providing monetary support, and collaborating with strategic partners to build awareness in school-age girls of STEM innovations and careers opportunities.

According to both the United States National Research Council and the National Science Foundation, STEM fields are considered core technological underpinnings of an advanced society. 

Mission

To create awareness, excitement and community programs in STEM for girls in grades 6 through 12

Vision

To progress girls from the classroom to advanced study in STEM fields

Target Demographics

• Girls in grades 6 through 12
• Resident of the Washington DC metropolitan area
• Encourage those that have an interest in STEM academic subjects
• Increase awareness of importance and contribution to society of STEM fields
• Reach out to those unaware of STEM educational and career opportunities
• Share knowledge, experience and paths of women already accomplished in STEM fields
• Reach out to girls from all socio-economic backgrounds. 

"It is so encouraging to know that others are out there looking out for you and your future.  GIT has provided me with an extraordinary experience and an invaluable new support group for the rest of my life." Student

Upcoming Programs

Mentoring Program Expands to Maryland!  GIT is now accepting applications for the VA and MD Spring Mentoring Programs for both Mentors and Protégés.


Deadline for Protege applications was February 8, 2012.  GIT is no longer accepting applications from proteges.



Mentors (online application) - Rolling Admission

Mentoring Program Spring 2012 Schedule and Session Format 

 

The typical agenda for each session:
6:00 – 6:30 pm: Greetings/Sign in/Refreshments/Networking
6:30 – 6:45 pm: Welcome and Introduction of Host/Underwriter
6:45 – 7:30 pm: Guest Speaker
7:30 – 8:30 pm: One-on-One Mentoring

Sharing Our Success (Online registration is now closed for this event)

“I LOVED the program.  It was very informational and I got to learn a lot about pre-planning, goal setting, and many different types of technology.” Protégé

Guest Speaker

Linda Y. Cureton is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). As NASA CIO, she provides the requisite leadership to transform the management of information technology (IT) capabilities and services to support and enable NASA's mission. She ensures that the Agency's information resource management (IRM) strategy is in alignment with NASA's vision, mission, and strategic goals. Accordingly, Ms. Cureton ensures the development of integrated IRM strategies, including standards, policies, NASA Enterprise Architecture, IT security, management, and operations. She has the responsibility, authority and accountability for ensuring that NASA's information assets are selected, controlled and evaluated consistent with federal policies, procedures, and legislation.  Ms. Cureton was appointed as the NASA CIO in September 2009. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Linda Y. Cureton served as the CIO of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and led the Information Technology and Communications Directorate. As the GSFC CIO, Ms. Cureton was responsible for ensuring that GSFC's information assets are acquired and managed consistent with Agency and Federal Government policies. She was responsible for ensuring that the Center's Information Technology strategy aligns with NASA's vision, mission, and strategic goals.

Prior to her arrival at GSFC, Ms. Cureton was the Deputy Chief Information Officer of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and led the Office of Science and Technology as Deputy Assistant Director. The Office of Science and Technology is responsible for providing leadership in the innovative and efficient application of science and technology used to collect, clarify, and communicate information needed to reduce violent crime, collect revenue and protect the public. As the ATF Deputy CIO, she was responsible for ensuring that the use of Information Technology for the Bureau's mission and business requirements fulfill customer and stakeholder needs.

Previously, Ms. Cureton served in executive positions at the Department of Energy and the Department of Justice.

As a strong advocate for the practical application of technology, she has served as a member of organizations such as the Government Information Technology Investment Council, the American Council for Technology, and Women in Technology.

Ms. Cureton earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Howard University in 1980 graduating magna cum laude with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Latin. She also received a Master of Science Degree in Applied Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University in 1994, and a Post-Master's Advanced Certificate in Applied Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University in 1996. She performed extensive research in numerical analysis and has been published in the "Journal of Sound and Vibration."

She currently resides in Maryland with her husband and mother.

Girls in Technology Programs

GIT Sharing Our Success: GIT invites middle- and high-school girls across the metropolitan area to participate in the one day program. The event includes networking game, hands-on demonstrations, refreshments, door prizes and women speakers who discussed their experiences of combining their love of technology with passions such as art, geography, science, education, and law enforcement/security.
 
GIT Mentoring: [click to advance to Mentoring Page] GIT invites high school girls to participate in the WIT Mentor-Protégé program. Selected from applicants around the metropolitan D.C. area attended bi-monthly sessions designed to support networking, personal and career development and one-on-one mentoring. The sessions offer each girl a series of guided quality discussions in a community with professional women. Since 2006, GIT holds two Mentoring Programs per year, one in the Fall and one in the Spring.
 
Team Business Fundraiser: This GIT event is a combined fundraiser and program for girls in Grades 9-12 across the Metro DC area. Each year, up to forty girls participate with mentors and WIT volunteers in a full-day business simulation workshop conducted by Team Business USA. The teams competed as companies, learning how to run a technology company in a fun and exciting simulation environment.

CISCO Girls in Technology Summit: GIT partnered with CISCO Systems to sponsor a Girls in Technology Summit at Chantilly Academy, where middle school girls participated in seminars, hands-on workshops, and mentoring sessions focused on technology educational and career opportunities for young women.

Maryland Outreach: GIT continued to strengthen its relationship with Montgomery County Public Schools. We engaged in strategic planning sessions and provided a representative to the MCPS Technology Advisory Board. We also entered into discussions with Prince Georges Public Schools.

DC Outreach: We established a partnership with a brand new magnet school, McKinley Technical High School for Science and Technology in Northeast DC. Over 20 girls and 5 teachers and counselors attended our 2005 Sharing Our Success event.

Alexandria TEMS: GIT continued to provide programming support for the Alexandria City Public Schools Technology, Engineering, Math & Science (TEMS) program, which targets at-risk middle-school students via a summer camp program. WIT provided program speakers and hosted students at Job Shadowing Days.

Thomas Jefferson TechStravaganza: GIT facilitated a demonstration table for the 2010 Annual Technology Carnival run by high-school girls at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. A hover craft activity was staffed by GIT volunteers. In past years, activities have included using gumdrops and toothpicks, elementary and middle middle-school girls built a model of carbon nanotubes over 55 feet in length. In addition, WITEF provided financial support for the event.

James Madison Middle School Career Day: GIT provided a speaker for James Madison’s end of year Career Day, showcasing career opportunities in the technology arena.

U. of Maryland Computer Mania Day: GIT once again participated as a sponsor at the University of Maryland’s Annual Computer Mania Day for elementary school girls in the Baltimore and DC areas.

Used Computer Donation Program: GIT facilitated the donation of used computers to the City of Frederick Public Schools and to Chantilly Academy.
 
GIT Visits the White House!

Late last year Girls in Technology was invited to visit the White House.

Check out the photo album from their visit 

Mentoring Program

What is Mentoring?
"Mentoring is a process whereby mentor and protégé work together to discover and develop the protégés latent abilities, to provide the protégé with knowledge and skills as opportunities and needs arise, and for the mentor to serve as an effective tutor, counselor, friend and foil who enables the protégé to sharpen skills and hone her thinking."
Gordon F. Shea

Protégés
 
High School Girls who want to:
• Obtain guidance from experienced mentors on technology careers
• Develop new relationships
• Experience dynamic personal growth through interactions with mentors, protégés, and speakers

Qualifications:
• Must be in high school in the Washington DC metro area
• Attendance at all 3 sessions is required for protégés

Up to 30 protégés are selected for the program; priority is given to early applications.  The Mentoring Program is free for protégés.  

The things I accomplished in GIT were...

• Figuring out my goals and priorities
• Learning about the elevator speech (even though I missed that session, I still researched it
• I'm not shy to speak in front of people anymore
• I learned how important it was to intern and get experience
• The program helped me realize how accomplished women can be and how many successful women are out there


Deadline for Protege applications was February 8, 2012.