IT Girls Foundation

?? Wrapping Up an Inspiring Semester with IT Girls ?? This past week, we celebrated a fantastic milestone as the girls wrapped up their first-semester projects, presenting everything they’ve learned through IT Girls! From mastering teamwork to diving into hands-on STEM projects, these young women have grown into curious, confident future leaders in tech and beyond. ??Kick Off & Human Knot The semester began with team-building activities designed to foster collaboration and problem-solving. Through the Human Knot challenge, the girls learned the value of communication, patience, and teamwork to achieve a common goal. ?? Financial Literacy In this session, the girls explored essential money management skills, including budgeting, saving, and understanding financial independence. They walked away with valuable tools to make informed decisions for their futures. ?? Intro to Cyber Security & Cyber Escape Room The girls dove into the world of cybersecurity, gaining insights into protecting digital information and understanding online threats. They put their knowledge to the test in a high-energy Cyber Escape Room, working together to solve puzzles and unlock their next challenge. ??? Engineering Adventures Structural Engineering with Tinker Toys: Creativity and logic came together as the girls built and tested various structures, learning about stability, design, and the principles of engineering. Electrical Engineering with LED Lamps: The girls explored circuits and electrical flow by designing and building their own LED lamps—a hands-on introduction to the magic of electrical engineering. ?? STEM Projects: KiwiCo Robot Crawler & Sphero Coding Robot Crawler: The girls designed and customized their crawlers, exploring concepts like energy transfer, mechanics, and optimization for speed or strength. Each design showcased their problem-solving skills and innovation. Sphero Coding: Using block coding, the girls programmed their Sphero robots to respond to light intensity, adding personalized touches like colors, sounds, and movements. This project brought coding to life and ignited their creativity. ? Gratitude for Our Community This semester wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our incredible sponsors, volunteers, and mentors. Thank you, to DataBank, ivision, Presidio, The Intersect Group, Vaco, Island IO, Peachtree Waste, Blue Sky Resources Ltd. Group, Robert Half, ServiceNow, Softensity Inc, Beazer Homes, Apex Assembly and Innova Solutions for helping empower the next generation of STEM leaders. ?? We’re so proud of the curiosity, creativity, and determination these girls have shown. This semester was just the beginning—watch out world, these future engineers, innovators, and problem-solvers are ready to make their mark! #ITGirls #STEMLeadership #Innovation The IT Girls Board of Directors, Grant Shih Roxanne Seymour Katie Tucker Allison Shih Ashley Russell Kelly Solomon, MBA, PMP Courtney Gillis Megna Sarma

?? Innovative Robotics and Coding Projects: Robot Crawler & Sphero Coding ?? We just wrapped up a thrilling three-week journey with our amazing group of girls who dove headfirst into two hands-on STEM projects: Robot Crawler and Sphero Coding! These projects have been all about discovery, creativity, and building a foundation in robotics and coding. ?? Robot Crawler Project Throughout this project, the girls explored the fascinating mechanics behind our robot crawler’s movement. They investigated how electrical energy, linkages, and friction impact the robot’s locomotion, redesigning their crawlers to focus on either speed or strength. With each iteration, they unlocked new skills and insights, making adjustments to reach their goals. By the end, our budding engineers showcased their unique designs, demonstrating creativity, problem-solving, and resilience. ?? Sphero Coding In our coding sessions, the girls harnessed the power of ambient light to bring their Sphero robots to life. They learned to measure light intensity (lux levels) and created coding conditions based on these values, using block coding to make their robots respond to changes in light. For example, they programmed their Sphero's to speed up in bright light and slowdown in dim settings, allowing them to observe real-time cause and effect in their code. Each girl also added personalized touches like color changes, sound effects, and directional movements, bringing creativity into their coding and making their robots uniquely responsive. Through testing different conditions and refining their programming, the girls gained hands-on experience with coding logic, developing both technical skills and confidence. None of this would have been possible without the passion and dedication of our incredible volunteers and teachers. Thank you to Kelly Solomon, MBA, PMP, @Andrea Burger, @Jessica Black, Sugra Naqvi, Caitlin Odiorne, Eman I., Jordyn Herron, SHRM- CP, Ai Kurashina, and @Tracy Johnson for guiding these future STEM leaders through an inspiring hands-on experience in robotics and coding! ?? We’re so proud of the girls’ curiosity, creativity, and perseverance. These projects were just the beginning—watch out world, these future engineers and coders are coming! #STEMEducation #GirlsInTech #Robotics #CodingForKids #FutureEngineers #HandsOnLearning #SpheroCoding #RobotCrawler The IT Girls Board of Directors, Grant Shih? Roxanne Seymour? Katie Tucker? Allison Shih? Ashley Russell Kelly Solomon, MBA, PMP Courtney Gillis Megna Sarma

?? Bright Ideas in Electrical Engineering with LED Lamps??? We just wrapped up a super engaging hands-on electrical engineering experiment with our amazing group of girls! During this event, the girls explored the fundamentals of circuits by designing and assembling their very own LED lamps using simple materials—coin batteries, LED lights, paperclips, and other office supplies. ?? They learned how to connect components to create a functioning circuit, understanding the flow of electricity and why it's essential for powering devices. After completing the basic setup, they tested their creativity by experimenting with different designs, adding switches, adjusting brightness, and even decorating their lamps for extra flair! Their challenge? To apply their new knowledge of circuits to build a lamp that could light up using only the provided materials. Not only did they accomplish this, but they also experimented with different power setups, understanding how varying the circuit affects the light's intensity and behavior. Some even designed dual-LED circuits for added complexity! This wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated support of our incredible volunteers and teachers! ?? A massive thank you to Heather Thornton, Jordyn Herron, SHRM- CP, Samira Rao, @Zee Norman, @Amber Jimerson, and Roxanne Seymour for guiding these future engineers through a hands-on learning experience packed with critical thinking, problem-solving, and fun STEM skills. We’re so proud of the girls’ curiosity, ingenuity, and perseverance—and this is just the spark of their journey into the exciting world of electrical engineering! #STEMgirls #ElectricalEngineering #LEDCircuits #GirlsInTech #FutureEngineers #HandsOnLearning The IT Girls Board of Directors, Grant Shih Roxanne Seymour Katie Tucker Allison Shih Ashley Russell Kelly Solomon, MBA, PMP Courtney Gillis Megna Sarma

Structural Engineering Triumph with Tinker Toys! We just wrapped up an exciting hands-on structural engineering challenge with our incredible group of girls! Over the course of the event, the girls learned key engineering principles and worked together to design and build sturdy bridges using Tinker Toys. ?? Their mission? To construct a bridge that could hold the weight of an apple— and they exceeded expectations! After mastering the basics, they took on a tougher challenge, testing their designs with heavier objects like cantaloupes! ?? This wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing support of our volunteers and teachers! ?? A huge shoutout to Kelly Solomon, MBA, PMP Samira Rao Kellie Newsome Courtney Gillis Ai Kurashina for contributing their time and resources to help these young engineers think critically, problem-solve, and learn valuable STEM skills in such a fun, engaging way. We’re so proud of the girls' creativity and resilience, and this is just the start of their structural engineering journey! ?? #STEMEducation #GirlsInSTEM #TinkerToys #CreativeProblemSolving The IT Girls Board of Directors, Grant Shih Roxanne Seymour Katie Tucker Allison Shih Ashley Russell Kelly Solomon, MBA, PMP Courtney Gillis Megna Sarma

?? Cybersecurity Success! We recently wrapped up an incredible two-week Cybersecurity Curriculum with our amazing group of girls! During the first week, they dove into the essentials of digital citizenship—learning what it truly means to be responsible online and how to safeguard their Personally Identifiable Information (PII). We covered key protection strategies like strong passwords, firewalls, encryption, and two-factor authentication. ???? The second week brought a thrilling challenge—a "bad actor" threatening their data. The girls stepped up and put their newfound skills to the test! With determination and creativity, they built a "fort" of security, using everything they'd learned to keep their data safe and secure. This program wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of our dedicated volunteers! ?? A huge thank you to Emily Hoffmann, Grant Sweet, @Kylee Gillis, Kristen Dixon, Sarah Beth Webb, Mary Wilkes, and Larry Courtney, CISSP, ITIL—your guidance and time were essential to making this a success! We’re so grateful for your contributions. We couldn’t be prouder of the girls' progress, and this is just the beginning of their journey in STEM and cybersecurity! #Cybersecurity #GirlsInSTEM #DataSecurity The IT Girls Board of Directors, Grant Shih Roxanne Seymour Katie Tucker Allison Shih Ashley Russell Kelly Solomon, MBA, PMP Courtney Gillis Megna Sarma

Had a fantastic time volunteering with IT Girls Foundation this week! Kristen Dixon and I had the privilege to lead a group of 4th and 5th grade girls in a Cyber Security workshop. They impressed us by building "forts" with firewalls, passwords, and two-factor authentication. When asked what their favorite part of IT girls was, they said "free breakfast", but we knew that was a lie once we saw their creativity and knowledge truly shine through the activity! Grateful for customers like Roxanne Seymour, who not only support our business but also engage actively in the community. It's through connections like Roxanne that we get to be a part of initiatives like the IT Girls Foundation. #Volunteering #CyberSecurity #CommunityEngagement #ITGirlsRock #STEM #EmpowerHer #STEMEducation

?? Last Week's IT Girls Cyber Adventure! Cybersecurity 101 – Ever wondered how hackers are kept out of our digital spaces? We unlocked the basics of cybersecurity and discovered how vital it is in protecting our precious data and systems from cyber villains! ?? Top Security Threats – From sneaky phishing attacks to notorious malware, we took a deep dive into today’s biggest cyber threats and learned how to defend against them. Life in IT Security – Curious about what it's like to be at the forefront of digital defense? Our amazing volunteers provided valuable insights into careers in IT security, highlighting the dynamic, fast-paced nature of the field. With constant advancements and evolving threats, it's a challenging yet highly rewarding profession that requires adaptability, critical thinking, and a commitment to staying ahead of cyber risks. A massive shout-out to Shan W., Sugra Naqvi, Annemarie Younger, and @Errol Fernandes, for fueling the conversation (and our brains, with breakfast! ??). You’re making waves in shaping our future cybersecurity warriors! Stay tuned—our next tech adventure awaits! ??? #STEMRocks #CyberWarriors #ITGirls The IT Girls Board of Directors, Grant Shih? Roxanne Seymour? Katie Tucker? Allison Shih? Ashley Russell Kelly Solomon, MBA, PMP Courtney Gillis Megna Sarma

This week's STEM topic: Financial Literacy! ?? By fostering a strong foundation in financial literacy, children can learn essential skills such as budgeting, saving, and investing, which will empower them to make informed financial decisions throughout their lives. Encouraging an understanding of money management from a young age helps cultivate responsibility and financial independence for future success. For today’s session: We explored basic budgeting techniques and discussed the value of saving early. The students enjoyed setting financial goals and tracking expenses—it’s rewarding to see them engage with these important concepts! That wraps up this session, and we can’t wait for next week’s fun as we dive into a new topic! Thank You for the opportunity – IT Girls Foundation and a special thanks to our amazing volunteers?Courtney Gillis Ai Kurashina Sugra Naqvi Monika M.! The IT Girls Board of Directors, Grant Shih Roxanne Seymour Katie Tucker Allison Shih Ashley Russell Kelly Solomon, MBA, PMP Courtney Gillis Megna Sarma #FinancialLiteracy #FutureSuccess #MoneyManagement #Education #FinancialGoals #ITgirls

Celebrating a Record-Breaking Year at IT Girls! What an incredible way to kick off the 2024-2025 school year! We are beyond excited to announce that this is our biggest year yet. We have more schools on board, a larger number of students enrolled in the IT Girls Foundation club, and an amazing team of 40+ volunteers supporting us in the classroom. ? We also want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to our incredible sponsors this year: Apex Assembly, DataBank, ivision, Presidio, The Intersect Group, Vaco, Island IO, Peachtree Waste, @Blue Sky Resource Group, Robert Half, ServiceNow, Softensity Inc, Innova Solutions and Beazer Homes. Your generous support will be instrumental in making this year a success. Thanks to your contributions, we have the necessary funds to provide each classroom with supplies to build robots, program Sphero robots, construct LED lamp lights, engage in cybersecurity activities and learn about financial literacy.?And that’s just for the first semester! ? We will then wrap up this incredible year with an inspiring field trip, offering a behind-the-scenes look at technology that reinforces everything the girls learn this year.? ? Thank you to everyone who has supported and participated in this amazing journey over the past nine years. Here’s to another fantastic year ahead! ? The IT Girls Board of Directors Grant Shih? Roxanne Seymour? Katie Tucker? Allison Shih? Ashley Russell Kelly Solomon, MBA, PMP Courtney Gillis Megna Sarma

?? A Huge Thank You to Our Supporters! ?? The highly anticipated day has arrived for our annual fundraiser and official kick off our 2024 - 2025 school year. The IT Girls Foundation is incredibly grateful for the generous support and donations from our amazing community, sponsors, and partners. Because of you, we’re ready to kick off the new school year with excitement and purpose! This year, we’re exploring a wide range of topics that will empower and inspire our young women to explore their passions and build essential skills. This year, we will be focusing on: Financial Literacy: Teaching smart money management and financial independence. Cybersecurity: Exploring the importance of protecting our digital lives and analytical "hacking" skills to combat bad actors. Structural Engineering: Understanding the principles behind the buildings and structures around us. Building a Robot: Hands-on experience with robotics and engineering. Coding with Sphero Bolts: Engaging in fun and interactive coding challenges. Thank you for believing in our mission and for helping us prepare the next generation of women leaders in STEM. Together, we’re making a difference, one girl at a time. #ITGirlsRock #STEM #EmpowerHer #STEMEducation