hell yes we can

I think – I really do think – that pretty much everyone knows that female people are under-represented in science & tech. (But don't take my word for it, check out these transparently-sourced statistics.) Meanwhile, there's a helluva lot of money and jobs in science and tech. Anyway, the point is, if a girl wants to blow things up or build bridges or apps or robots, I'm all for it. Unfortunately, girl students' performance starts differing markedly from boys' right around middle school – just when science gets interesting! This is also the time when girls stop expressing as much interest in topics that are, culturally,"for boys." (There is so much research on this. You should check it out.) Enter Techbridge, an organization that "inspires girls to discover a passion for technology, science, and engineering, empowering our future innovators and leaders." They provide after-school programming to an impressively large group of East- and South-Bay schools (some of the higher-need areas in the Bay Area, in case you didn't know).

Icing on the cake? Their website includes a holiday gift guide of presents that encourage girls in science, technology, and engineering. Pretty charming. And rad radness itself.

How can you get involved? Well, they don't seem to be accepting volunteers, but they are hiring. And hey, I've said it before, but I'll say it again: You can give them some of your money! People, I'm serious. Think of all the money you spend on stuff that does nothing to improve the world. Now go out there and find your favorite 501(c)(3) who is rockin' it, and give them $15. You'll like it!