North African Teens Arrive in the U.S. for TechGirls Exchange

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Department of State
Washington, DC
July 20, 2015

Tech-savvy teens from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, and Tunisia will participate in the fourth annual TechGirls exchange program from July 21-August 12. While in the United States, they will develop the knowledge, resources, peer networks, and mentor relationships necessary to pursue higher education and careers in technology. Increasing opportunities for women and girls in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields is an important step towards realizing greater equality for women across the world and widening the pipeline for the next generation of STEM workers.

The 27 participating girls will spend three weeks side-by-side with American teens and leaders in the tech industry both in Washington, D.C. and at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. They will start their program at iD TechCamp, an interactive technology and computer camp at American University. They also will work on community service projects and attend mentoring sessions with top leaders in the tech industry from the United States and the Middle East and North Africa.

The State Department and program partner Legacy International have teamed up with a diverse array of public and private sector companies for this year’s TechGirls program, including: Girls Who Code, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), AT&T, Goodwill Industries, National Building Museum, 18F, Yahoo!, Facebook, Tech Change, Relief International, Echo & Co, Synopsis, and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), among others.

The nearly 80 TechGirls program alumnae have shared their tech skills with more than 2,000 girls in their home countries, hosted conferences, and gone on to study at leading universities around the world. The success of TechGirls alumnae and the promise of the incoming class build on the U.S. global commitment to advance the rights of women and girls around the world, as well as STEM education.

Join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter using hashtag #TechGirls.