At CoolTechGirls, young girls discover the joy of science and technology

As the owner and founder of Cybervation, a technology company that develops enterprise solutions through software development, Purba Majumder noticed a significant disparity in the number of women professionals in the field.

In 2013, she decided to tackle the problem at the source and founded CoolTechGirls to encourage young girls to explore and pursue their passion for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through classes, workshops, summer camps, and mentoring opportunities by partnering with local community businesses, agencies, and corporations.

The nonprofit began with the support of the city of Dublin. Majumder said the organization was born out of a shared vision and community hopes for young girls and their futures.

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“We really leaned on the community because a lot of the small businesses, women-owned businesses, felt the same way I did and felt that we should serve girls because it’s really important to us to develop girls to be future STEM professionals in this region,” Majumder said.

In June, girls from grades four through eight who attended "Click, click, snap!" During the workshop we learned how to connect and program a program for an illuminated T-shirt with LED diodes. — In June, girls in grades four through eight who participated in the “Snap, Crackle, POP!” workshop learned how to connect and code a program to an LED light-up T-shirt.

As fall approaches, CoolTechGirls will offer a TechnoFashion program in partnership with the Hilliard and Gahanna Parks and Recreation Departments. For three consecutive weekends, high school-aged girls will participate in hands-on workshops where they will build and program LED systems and sewing electronics to create wearable technology such as bracelets, earrings and headbands.

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“The girls who come to our program are so smart, so intelligent,” Majumder said. “But they are afraid to take on new things, learn new things. That lack of confidence is a major factor in why they are not encouraged to join this field. I felt that very strongly.”

In addition to TechnoFashion, more events and workshops are currently in the works, and volunteers are always welcome and needed. To learn more about the organization and volunteer opportunities, visit cooltechgirls.org or contact [email protected].

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio nonprofit CoolTechGirls builds girls’ confidence in STEM fields