Brookview House is committed to help homeless families in America develop life-skills and participate in hands-on activities that help them move on from homelessness through self-sufficiency. One of the skills we focus on is computer science. Research shows that seventy-four percent of middle school girls are interested in science, technology, engineering, and math majors (STEM). However, the numbers change drastically when it comes to choosing a college major, where less than one percent of them pursue computer science as their major. In order to give girls a head start in the technological sector, Brookview House established its own Girls Who Code Club as part of the national Girls Who Code Program. Their mission is to create gender parity within technology by providing education for young women eager to learn computer science. We are deeply committed to help girls advance and narrow the gender gap within the computing filed.

As part of our efforts to expose young girls to different careers within the technological sector, we partner with some of the most successful companies in the field. During our February vacation we visited Akamai Technologies and had a chance to discuss various aspects of their operations and explore different career paths within technology.

Akamai_lobby

During our summer program we spent an entire day at EMC‘s offices and production facility. Our kind hosts gave a lecture on STEM and the importance of technology in the twenty-first century. We were exposed to various career opportunities within EMC and encouraged to apply for their internship program. During the panel discussion, we received invaluable advice from EMC employees though their personal experience starting from middle school through college, and finally a career within the tech sector.

GroupEMC22

To keep the interest toward STEM going we have math games as part of our summer program. Math races are a fun way to combine education and play. While the children are excited about who is going to win the race, they also learn how to calculate fast without using calculators. Playing active games can help children build a sense of team work and a strong community in the classroom. They can also foster problem solving skills that combine physical and mental activity. We will continue working toward exposing more children to math and technology in order to equip them with the twenty-first century tools needed to pursue a career within STEM.

MathRace2

Further reading:

Girls Who Code: http://girlswhocode.com/

USNews.com: http://bit.ly/1HSbMyA