IT: Where the Girls Aren't

Educators need to do more to encourage girls’ interest in technology and science, according to panelists who spoke on the topic at South by Southwest, a music, film, and interactive media festival held March 7-11 in Austin, Texas. The panelists also pointed to a number of existing programs that could serve as models for teachers and others interested in fostering girls' technical knowledge.

The annual South by Southwest conference, one of the largest of its kind, draws such luminaries as Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook; Henry Jenkins, MIT professor and author of Convergence Culture ; and former Disney head Michael Eisner. It is seen as a highly influential forum on technology and media trends.

In the session on girls and technology, panel moderator Clare Richardson, technology coordinator at the Austin-based Girlstart for “Project IT Girl,” recalled that she herself developed an early interest in computers, science, and math. However, she said that encouragement and guidance from adults is key in fostering and sustaining girls’ interest in areas that are typically seen as...