"The main goal of GROW was to help put introductory technology training in the hands of kids who may not have access to it. We seek to empower young women, and show them that tech isn’t just for boys and can be really fun. Along the way, they learn about online safety, web design and basic html. We hope that the spark lit in these young girls at a GROW event will burn long after the night's fun is over," said DCWW event coordinator Eve Simon. The agenda for the evening included pizza, a web site planning session, lessons about navigating the Internet successfully and safely, and hands-on technology training. From beginning to end, the evening was a huge success. "It was fun to see the next generation of IT professionals being introduced to web development," said DCWW volunteer Joan Martinez, who works for OIT’s Networking and Telecommunications Services.

Local coordinator Sue Gibson and a team of ten volunteers, including OIT staff members Joan Martinez, Maggie Turqman, and Allison Denny, worked with more than 25 girls and their parents (and one or two brothers) to build individual web pages using basic HTML coding. At the end of the evening, each girl’s page was shown on the big screen to the entire class, and received a round of applause. Every participant received a diskette copy of her web site along with the instruction and planning manual used to build the sites, and a goody bag filled with items donated by local companies. "I think each girl walked out of here tonight a little more confident in her ability to use technology," said Denny, "and the parents and volunteers were equally energized by the kids’ success."

The 2001 event targeted a more select audience than previous years, focusing on girls only, and a younger age range. According to Eve Simon, "Some very unsettling research has shown that girls are becoming less and less interested in careers in technology, and it seemed like an event just for them could really make a difference in that statistic." The decision was made to target younger kids in order to have a greater impact, and to reach them before any negative experiences have occurred.

This year’s event was the largest since its inception. Registration filled in less than a week, and an additional 100 girls were placed on a waiting list. "As the kids are learning faster and faster, parents and other caring adults are trying to catch up with them and be involved in their technological lives. It's no longer just a fad -- this will be around for a while, and I think kids and parents alike have realized that they all want to be on the forefront," Simon noted.

DC Web Women is a non-profit professional organization of more than 4,000 members, formed to encourage women in new media and technology. Find out more about them at: http://www.dcwebwomen.org/, and see the girls’ pages at: http://www.dcwebwomen.org/grow/may01/.

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