Jeffrey Barlow

Girls gather for computer science (G2CS) (abstract only)

Girls Gather for Computer Science (G2CS) is an innovative computer science summer camp for middle school girls. The goal of the camp is to change how girls experience computer science by placing them in an all-female environment where they explore computer science in a fun and interactive way. Girls are exposed to female role models while middle school teachers and parents are educated about the issues facing women in technology fields. Each week of the camp has a different theme: web development, robotics, programming with Alice, and computer hardware and the camp includes field trips to local technology companies such as Intel and Vernier Software & Technology. Campers use a closed social networking site to communicate and share ideas, and continue to use this site after the camp is over. This provides the girls with a supporting community that will continue to foster their interest in computer science even after the camp has ended. Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) partnered with us to produce the camp website, a 10 minute video of the camp, 5 interviews with professional female computer scientists, and online interactive games that teach computer science concepts. The project includes a ten-year study to follow the progress of the campers. Initial assessment of G2CS shows that it had a positive and significant impact on the participants.