The Girl Scouts Hornets’ Nest Council of Charlotte, NC, received a research grant from the National Science Foundation and used the money to create a new program called Girls Are I.T. The heart of the project is a big purple school schoolbus that’s been turned into a mobile technology classroom. It’s outfitted with 12 stations featuring wireless computers, PDA’s, and multiple activities that explore different aspects of technology. That includes exploring wireless sensors and how they’re being used in remote-controlled robots to explore distant planets. And because this classroom is mobile, teachers can take the technology into low-income communities where the services are needed most. In addition to the mobile classroom, there’s also a website (www.girlsareit.org <http://www.girlsareit.org/>; ), in which girls can explore the history of technology through an interactive timeline, read about empowering technology careers from women across the country, and post their ideas on how technology can improve our lives in the future.
This article appears in Jul 27 – Aug 2, 2005.
