At CoolTechGirls, young girls discover the joys of the STEM field

As the owner and founder of Cybervation , a tech company that develops enterprise solutions through software development, Purba Majumder noticed a significant disparity in the number of female professionals in the field.

In 2013, she decided to tackle the issue at its root; she founded CoolTechGirls , aiming to encourage young girls' exploration of and passion for the STEM field with activities, workshops, summer camps and mentorship opportunities through community partnerships with local businesses, agencies and corporations.

In its first days, the nonprofit was developed with the help of the city of Dublin , and Majumder said the organization came together through collective visions and hopes from the community for young girls and their futures.

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"We really depended on the community, because a lot of the small businesses, women-owned businesses , they felt the same way I did, and they thought that we should serve the girls because it's so important for us to develop the girls to be future STEM professionals in the area," Majumder said.

As fall approaches, CoolTechGirls will be offering the TechnoFashion program in partnership with the Hilliard and Gahanna parks and recreation departments. For three consecutive weekends, middle school-aged girls will participate in hands-on workshops where they will build and program LED systems and sewable electronics to create wearable technology, like bracelets, earrings and headbands.

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"The girls that come to our program, they’re so smart, they’re so intelligent," Majumder said. "But they are afraid of taking on new things, learning new things. That lack of confidence is a big factor in them not being encouraged to join this field. I felt very passionately about that."

Beyond the TechnoFashion program, there are more events and workshops currently in the works, and volunteers are always welcome and needed. To learn more about the organization's offerings and volunteering opportunities, visit cooltechgirls.org or contact info@cooltechgirls.org .

elim@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: At CoolTechGirls, young girls discover the joys of the STEM field