Over 50 girls from Loudoun County Public Schools were invited to participate in the Girls Tech Conference at Northern VA Community College. This event was in partnership with STEMforHER, NOVA Loudoun, Kashmir World Foundation, Loudoun County Schools and other companies that empower girls in technology.
While it was a working day for teachers in Loudoun County, girls from Tuscarora High School in Leesburg and Parkview High School in Sterling woke up early to attend an all day Tech Conference. They participated in a variety of discussions and lectures to gain exposure to careers in STEM.
When asked why girls do not participate in STEM fields some of the girls shared their insightful opinions. One girl stated that, "Girls are always pushed to look pretty, wear makeup, and dress nice. Most magazines for young girls do not focus on STEM but appearances of how girls look." Another girls stated that, "When you live in a community where you are a minority it is intimidating to consider going outside your comfort zone. So most girls just stick with what their family and friends already do. It's safe."
If girls are given more opportunities to learn about STEM education with hands-on workshops they can become more confident and comfortable to consider careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.