program
overview

The COMPUGIRLS program consists of six distinct courses. Students begin with a summer session, meeting 4 times per week for 5 weeks. Each successive fall, spring and summer contains another course. Curricula are designed by co-pis working in tandem with mentor-teachers.

Course I — Introduction: Introduction to social justice, media and technology

Course II — The Sims: Design a virtual world and determine the trajectory of the characters' lives

Course III — Scratch: Learn and manipulate graphical programming language to create animation, games, music and art

Course IV — Intro to Teen Second Life: Participants create characters and begin to operate in a virtual world

Course V — Teen Second Life: Begin social justice projects to affect change in a virtual world

Course VI — Capstone of Teen Second Life: Execute proposed projects in a virtual world

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program
objectives

COMPUGIRLS maintains three objectives:

• To use multimedia activities as a means of encouraging computational thinking
• To enhance girls' techno-social analytical skills using culturally relevant practices
• To provide girls with a dynamic, fun learning environment that nurtures the development of a proactive self-concept

As part of the program, COMPUGIRLS loans each participant a laptop, digital camera and digital camcorder. Participants also have the chance to work with the Apple iLife suite (iMovie, iPhoto, Garageband, etc), GIS, podcasting, Wikis, databases, and Scratch.

investors & collaborators

INVESTORS

• National Science Foundation
• Sponsors

CURRENT PARTNER SCHOOL DISTRICTS

The program is open to girls in grades eight to 12 in participating school districts:

• Phoenix Union High School District
• Tempe Union High School District
• Roosevelt Elementary School District
• Scottsdale Unified School District

Supported by a three-year National Science Foundation grant award, COMPUGIRLS will soon expand to include programs affiliated with the Boys and Girls Club of the East Valley, Sacaton Branch, on the Gila River Indian Community.

program administration

COMPUGIRLS is administered by:

Dr. Kimberly A. Scott
Executive Director and
Associate Professor of Education

Students may apply each spring for summer admission to the program. Please download an application to apply.

• Principal investigators
• Program staff