TechGYRLS is a dynamic group changing the lives of elementary school girls who do not have access to computers in their homes. Programme Co-ordinator of TechGYRLS, Jana Hiraga says technology literacy is key to economic success for young girls. “Technology has been and still is a very male-dominated field. TechGYRLS aims to close this gender gap.”

The programme works with three elementary schools in Oakland and is part of an after school initiative that runs for two hours a week with around 20 participants. “It was very easy to get girls to want to be a part of TechGYRLS because a lot of our projects are on the computer. A lot of the girls don’t have computers at home or computer class in school, so TechGYRLS is the only place where they can use a computer. The girls are excited to have anytime on the computers, the only problem is their lack of access to computers and their lack of knowledge of how to use them”, says Jana.

Mentoring is key to TechGYRLS club and the UC Berkeley University female students who volunteer have often experienced sexism in the field of technology. “The volunteers for this programme are amazing. I interviewed all of the applicants and almost all of them felt discouraged at one point or another in the field of technology because of their gender. One of our volunteers is only one of a handful of girls in a mechanical engineering class of about 50 men. Many of the men say to her the only reason she was accepted into her graduate programme was because she was female and not because she was smarter than the other male applicants, “ says Jana.

Barmeithia Banks is a second year law student and a volunteer at TechGYRLS. “I decided to volunteer for TechGYRLS becuase I wanted to help promote self awareness of young girls and aid in their development towards them becoming effective leaders in the community. The most positive experience is seeing their faces every time I work with them."

The mentoring process is often a two way process as Prapti Singh, a second year molecular cell biology major and pre-medical student discovered when she started volunteering for TechGYRLS. “I felt a bit hesitant about being able to help the girls and effectively communicate with them, yet I have learned so much about communicating and grown as an individual in the process.”

The TechGYRLS curriculum also involves science and maths projects to encourage the girls to have fun while learning. "In order to close the gender gap of the lack of women in the field of technology, we first have to get the girls excited about this field at an early age. We bring in a lot of professional women from the fields of math, science, technology, and computers that are from Oakland to come in and speak to the girls about their life journey and career. This shows the girls that people that look like them and who went to the same schools as them can be incredible women despite life’s challenges,” says Jana.

The girls who participate in TechGYRLS say their lives have changed. Leticia Villavicencio is in the fourth grade and says she likes learning about technology. “It’s more fun that I thought it would be. I used to just go on the Disney Channel website, now I know how to do way more fun stuff like make calendars, type fast, e-mail my friends and Jana. I know how to do more things on the computer by myself now.”

Having positive role models has been very inspiring for students like Mauricia Morgan, a fifth grader. “ I like the people that came and talked to us about science and technology. They brought tubes of real blood and we got to look at them and wear doctor gloves. I want to do something with science when I go to college. All the mentors came from UC Berkeley, and that’s the college that I want to go to. I’ve never had friends that went to college before. Now I know that I want to go to UC Berkeley for college.”

As Programme Director of TechGYRLS, Jana feels honoured to be part of the programme. “Seeing these girls’ knowledge and skills improve on the computer, science, math, in critical thinking, in teamwork, and in communicating with others is inspiring. These girls are only in the fourth and fifth grade, and knowing we are helping them open new doors of opportunity in computers and technology gives me hope one day these girls will inspire others to succeed in these fields.”