There's a new nonprofit in the Triangle that's aimed at getting more girls interested in careers in technology.
Last December, a kickoff event drew 60 high school girls from across the region. Now, they are participating in free monthly programs where they're learning about everything from wearable tech to robotics. The group's goal is twofold: To increase the number of women and girls who pursue STEM-based careers and retain the women who are working now in the technology industry.
To participate in the programs, which are designed for teens who might never think of a career in tech on their own, girls are identified by teachers or their school's career development counselor. If you would like your child to participate next year, check out
ChickTech's website and talk to your child's teachers or school counselor
To learn more about ChickTech, I caught up with Preethi Thomas, mom of two teenage girls in Cary. Thomas, originally from India, moved to Cary in 1997. She has worked in the tech industry for 20 years, including the past 11 as a quality engineer at Red Hat. She also is a founding member of Chick Tech's Raleigh Durham chapter and is its director.
Thomas shares more details about ChickTech in this Q&A.
Go Ask Mom: Why did you get involved in ChickTech?
Preethi Thomas: With both my husband and I working in the technology field, I always assumed technology would be a natural choice for my daughters. However, when they started high school, it became clear to me that they did not want to take classes that are more technology-centric. My younger daughter is a strong math and science student. But she too considers technology classes boring or does not opt for it. Through my conversations with my daughters and their friends, I realized some of the reasons for them not wanting to be in those classes include not having friends and the perception that all technology is boring. I wanted the girls to have a chance to try the possibilities in technology careers in a fun and safe environment.
GAM: What was your experience in high school and at the start of your career? Were you the only woman in the room sometimes?
PT: My education background is computer science. But I went to school in India. While still a minority, we had around 30 percent to 40 precent women in my classes. But when I started my career in the United States, the number of women was much less, and it still is. I have been the only woman on my teams many times.
GAM: The #MeToo movement and related stories about sexual harassment have been capturing headlines, including in the tech industry. How is the work at ChickTech helping to make it a safer place for girls and women going forward?
PT: We make every effort to make ChickTech a very inclusive and safe environment for our girls. Our workshops are for high school students who identify themselves as girls. While our workshops are for girls, anyone can volunteer for us. We also organize meetups and information sessions to support women in technology.
GAM: What's ChickTech up to in the Triangle? What kinds of programs do you have now and in the future?
PT: Our high school program runs from November/December to June and is designed to work with 100 girls. We start with working with schools in the fall. We encourage teachers and career development counselors to nominate girls who have the aptitude, but, otherwise, not the opportunity. Once we get the nomination, we send them invitation packets to register for our kickoff weekend. The kickoff event is a two-day tech immersion program. The girls have the opportunity to pick their favorite workshop from a list of five or six choices. After the kickoff event, we organize monthly one-day workshops through May and finish with a celebration in June.
Our kickoff event was held in December at Meredith College. We had 130 nominations, and about 60 students attended the event. We had five workshops - 3D-Printing, Android App Development, Video Production, E-Wearbles and Robotics.
Our January workshop was on web development at Wake Tech. The February workshop was on UX Design and held at Red Hat. March is about Wearable Tech at Fidelity. In April, we will be taking them to Campbell University to work in their maker space. In May, we will be doing a gaming workshop and finish off with a picnic in early June.
Our workshops are totally free for the students. We provide breakfast/lunch and also provide transportation if needed.
GAM: How can volunteers get involved locally?
PT: We are always looking volunteers to help with our workshops. We are also looking for committed volunteers to join our leadership team. We are in need of a committed volunteer who can be our fundraising lead. Next year, we are hoping to open up more workshops so that more girls can participate. Please follow us on social media -
Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram - to learn more about those opportunities. Also, reach out to us at rdu-leadership@chicktech.org if you want to learn more about what we do or interested in volunteering. You also can fill out
ChickTech's volunteer registration form.
Go Ask Mom features local moms every Monday.
