Attracting Young Women to Engineering: Girls Go Techbridge and Girl Scout council partner to change lives

The Girls Go Techbridge scale-up project, made possible by the Noyce Foundation, began with two Girl Scout councils in 2008. Five different program boxes, developed and packaged as portable totes of hands-on engineering activities appropriate for girls in grades 4-12, are now an integral part of STEM programming in 17 GS councils across the country. From migrant camps in Northern California, to week-long day camps in Austin, Texas, to Saturday mornings at a museum in Tampa, Florida, the Girls Go Techbridge programs-in-a-box have been used in different places around the country to attract young women to engineering. Included in the program box are the materials for each hands-on project, a Leader’s Guide designed for users with little to no STEM background, and training videos that provide extra tips and show the completed products. In response to the programs, girls tell us: “I learned that this science thing is very fun and educational at the same time. I LOVE IT!” and “I learned that engineering is not just for men.“ We consider these reactions to be signs of a life-changing experience.