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Techbridge Programs in Action
John Swett
This enthusiastic group of middle school girls enjoyed projects that brought together their interests in science and technology. Under the guidance of teacher, Dan Fleming, and tech advisor, Saundra Butcher the group conducted a water quality study. The girls collected water samples from the watershed around their school and neighborhood and tested their samples for traces of oil, fertilizers, and other pollutants that can damage our waters by flowing directly into the bay and ocean. "The project extends from Techbridge, to the school, and into the community,” shares Dan.
The
girls from John Swett learn about the restoration of Sausal Creek from
role model, Kristin Hathaway.
Fremont High
 Anime
captured the hearts and minds of girls at Fremont High. Teacher, David
Chew built on this interest and taught the girls how to do their own
animations. Role model from Lucas Films, Suzanne Squier, taught the
girls how to create their own web-based animations. On a field trip,
the girls went to see Hayao Miyazaki's animated film Spirited Away.
The girls at Fremont also work on hands-on activities. They had an
opportunity to take apart and reassemble computers. Lessons like these
help demystify computer hardware and give the girls a chance to work
with tools—opportunities they haven’t had before but which they enjoy.
We can't help but imagine that the lessons learned from this kind of
work will serve these students well when they are faced with a
challenge or long-term commitment later in their lives.
Above: This lesson helped demystify computer hardware for students at
Fremont High.
McClymonds High
Teacher Dr. Akatugba shares, "Techbridge is a productive program that
exposes
girls to modern technology and role models in a fun and engaging way.
It also
has significant academic and social impact on the girls." Within the
community that is created by Techbridge, girls talk about their
schoolwork,
share feelings, and get advice from their teachers and peers about how
to
deal with challenges and celebrate their successes.
This year the McClymonds' students are using PowerPoint to create
personal
stories about important persons and events in their lives. The
open-ended
nature of these projects encourages the girls to learn new
technologies and
develop their creativity. They are also enjoying hands-on projects
like
building robots.
Students watch role model run a demo on blood cells.
Oakland Technical High
The Techbridge program at Oakland Tech is hosted in conjunction with
the school’s Engineering Academy. Tech advisors, Jeri Countryman and
Saundra Butcher, have introduced the tenth and eleventh-grade girls to
a variety of projects on and off the computer. They worked with
digital photography, built telephones, learned to solder, and designed
their own web pages. In between these projects, they also found time
to take field trips to Pixar Animation Studios, the University of
California, Berkeley, and Monterey.
 When
given the chance, most students choose to socialize and work with
their friends. Techbridge encourages girls to expand their network of
acquaintances and work with partners outside their circle of friends.
Through icebreakers, the girls at Tech are encouraged to get to know
one another. In the safe and small group setting of Techbridge, the
girls have a place to check in and discuss topics like career
aspirations, report cards, and recent achievements. Jeri notes, "The
girls at Tech started the program with two things that they knew they
had in common—they are girls and they are interested in technology.
Through these social activities, they are discovering many more shared
interests and traits. This commonality has helped form a community for
these young women to explore and create in the areas of technology and
engineering."
Above: Team work makes projects like this K'NEX roller coaster
possible.
Berkeley High School
When teacher, Dharini Rasiah, asked if she could start a Techbridge program at Berkeley High we were excited to explore the proposition. Dharini has taught media classes at Chabot during the summer and we welcomed the chance to support her expertise with storytelling and video production with our other Techbridge programs. Dharini recruited ninth graders, which gave newcomers to the school an after-school experience that offered multiple benefits. The girls developed technology skills and had the opportunity to work in a small group setting with their peers and instructor. Dharini comments, "I see many more boys pursuing advanced video and other technology classes at Berkeley High. I hope to spark the interest of girls at a young enough age so that they may stay with it longer and become open to the idea of careers in technology."
Opportunities at Chabot Space & Science
Center
Techbridge has also offered girls special opportunities during winter
breaks and summer months. These programs build upon interests already
expressed by the girls as well as introduce them to new applications
of technology. Nature and Technology brought students to Chabot
for computer lab work and field study at local trails and creeks.
Students engaged in a variety of interdisciplinary activities centered
on Geographic Information Systems and Global Positioning mapping,
watershed protection, and environmental ecology. In Family
Genealogy girls were invited to "Come use new technology to learn
about your family history, discover the meaning behind your name, and
put together a family tree." In the process, the girls mastered a new
software program, scanned photographs and drawings, conducted research
on the Internet, and created a personal timeline that encouraged
self-expression and career exploration..
These
students used probeware to study the pond at Chabot with help from
Tech Advisor, Jeri Countryman.
We are pleased to report that the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation will
be supporting Techbridge summer programs through 2006. Unlike many
technology programs that recruit primarily boys, these summer programs
give girls the opportunity to learn and work in a supportive and
challenging environment.
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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation
under Grant No. HRD 0080386. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the
author(s) and
do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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