In October, more than 350 girls and young women, ages 8 to 24, participated in the inaugural Girls’ Tech Day at Mason’s Hylton Performing Arts Center [1] at the Science and Technology Campus. Run by a crew of nearly 100 volunteers and staff from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Mason, and community groups, the event featured activities and instruction from several Mason programs, including Computer Game Design [2] and Film and Video Studies [3]—both from the College of Visual and Performing Arts [4]—the Virginia Serious Game Institute [5], Robotics—from the Volgenau School of Engineering [6]—and the Mason Game and Technology Academy.
AWS Girls Tech Day at Hylton Performing Arts Center. Photo by Dennis Kan.
With the chance to get hands-on experience in everything from game design to robotics, the participants embraced the spirit of one of Amazon’s leadership principles: “Learn and Be Curious.”
The free community event was offered as part of the partnership between AWS and the Hylton Performing Arts Center. AWS is the lead sponsor of the Hylton’s Veterans and the Arts Initiative.
“As a leading innovator and STEM employer, AWS certainly has an interest in ensuring a well-trained and diverse future workforce in the region,” says Donna Oldham, manager of community engagement for the Americas at AWS. “Girls’ Tech Day is a great way to pursue that goal.”
—Emily Robinson