ChickTech High School Tech Fair

ChickTech Austin (http://austin.chicktech.org) is pleased to announce our second kickoff weekend at HomeAway, 11800 Domain Dr, on December 9th and 10th.

ChickTech: High School (http://austin.chicktech.org/chicktech-high-school-faq/) is a free yearlong program that introduces 100 high school girls to technology and the local tech community. After the kickoff event, the program continues with events that offer a fun, positive learning experience designed to build confidence, provide mentors and role models, and create a positive association with technology creation. Our program will cost nothing to the participants and we will be providing transportation, food, sign language interpreters, and childcare for those who need it.

We accepted participant nominations through October 1 from area educators for students who maybe haven’t participated in technology programs before, and who would benefit from exposure to hands-on activities, mentoring opportunities and career exposure.

We received 339 nominations from 88 teachers in 41 different schools. A week after the nomination letters were delivered over 100 girls had registered. Of those girls, 35% are on lunch assistance, 34% call English their second language, and 70% do not identify as Caucasian.

Girls will then get to choose from a number of hands-on workshop topics, including:

• Soft Circuits

• Robotics

• Game World Design

• Web Development

• Digital Filmmaking

• Building a Computer

• Smart Wearables

• Android App Development

Further information about ChickTech: High School and a detailed schedule of the kickoff event can be found on our website (http://austin.chicktech.org/chicktech-high-school-faq/).

ChickTech: High School is made possible in Austin thanks to the following partners:

• CDK Global

• HomeAway

• Bear & Giraffe

• Github

• Google

• cPanel

• Red Hat

Our girls will be showing off their work at a tech fair on December 10th at HomeAway, 11800 Domain Dr at 4:20 pm. Press and the public are welcome. Press please contact austin@chicktech.org for credentials and public please RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/ChickTech-Austin/.

As a volunteer-run non-profit, we are always searching for partners who would like to get involved through donations of expertise, volunteer time, in-kind, funding, or just by helping to get the word out. Companies and individuals can learn more about ChickTech Austin at http://austin.chicktech.org and can email inquiries to austin@chicktech.org.