The University of Nevada Reno’s College of Business and software giant Microsoft partnered to present the seventh annual DigiGirlz camp for the high school girls from northern Nevada and California. The camp, which aims to break down the stereotypes associated with careers in technology, was held Thursday, July 21 and Friday, July 22.
This year’s camp featured sessions on drones, virtual reality, personal branding, electric sculptures, health and wellness and financially planning for college. Both the College of Business and Microsoft hope that by introducing girls to information about career opportunities and education paths available to them, DigiGirlz will help close the gender gap that currently afflicts the STEM community.
“We told the girls at the beginning of camp to keep an open mind and not to let fear dictate what you can and cannot do,” Lacee Thomas, program manager for DigiGirlz, said. “Break down the barriers, think big, dream big and go after it. There’s no reason why you can’t do something.”
The camp reflects Microsoft’s effort to recruit more women and minorities into their workforce. According to Microsoft, the number of women hired from universities has increased from 27.7 percent to 30.6 percent in the past year. It is believed that the increase can be attributed to programs like DigiGirlz. Not only does the program benefit young women aspiring to succeed in STEM fields, but it also aids the College of Business in recruiting some of the top students in the northern Nevada area. According to the college’s Director of Corporate Relations and Outreach Jim McClenahan, the program also helps girls learn the educational benefits of pursuing a career in the field from experts at the University.
“When you bring young students to the University, they walk around and get to know it,” McClenahan said. “It helps them feel like they belong here. DigiGirlz, in partnership with the University, helps these young women feel like they belong here and encourages them to not only be interested in technology, but also actively pursue it as a career.”
The partnership between the College of Business and Microsoft also afforded University staff to become involved. This year, Bret Simmons, associate professor of management, and Susan Welsh, technical program manager at the Nevada Advanced Autonomous Innovation Systems Center, taught sessions on personal branding and drones, respectively.
For the first time, this year’s camp curriculum featured workshops designed to complement the STEM focus and included workshops around financial planning and health & wellness.
“These topics were introduced to round out the program and help these young women get a sense for the complete picture,” Thomas said.
To learn more about DigiGirlz, visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/programs/digigirlz.
