Testing and Redesigning

Today, we established criteria by which to test our cars. Mr. Smith helped us think about some of the criteria. We also searched on line for other edible car competetion and the criteria they used. We then tested our cars and entered the data in a spreadsheet. We made conclusions based on this data. Finally we made one final design plan and shopping list for our final time together.

Ladies, please add your shopping list in the comments section.

St. Albans Tech Savvy Girls Create Edible Cars

St. Albans Tech Savvy Girls kicked off their Winter Session by experimenting with various foods in the making of EDIBLE CARS. This was the first of an 9 week series called The Creative Side of Engineering. Mr. Blair Smith gave the girls an introduction to design and engineering, while Ms. deLaBruere described the contribution women can make to the engineering page.
The girls went to town with their first attempt at designing an edible car. Each girl presented their car, giving it a unique name, while their peers recorded audio, video, and images of the presentation. Check out our slideshow from this exciting TechSavvy Girls Sessions.

During the upcoming week, the girls will examine edible materials that they would like to use for their 2nd draft of their car.

Tech Savvy Girls Update

This site currently provides updates about the status of the Tech Savvy Girls Program and Web Site which had previously been hosted by The Vermont Institutes. Currently the official TechSavvyGirls web site is orphaned, and looking for a new home. Negotiations are currently in the works with one non-profit, so with good luck and hard work, you will see the resources, programs, and services available again.

The Tech Savvy Girls project lead by Lucie deLaBruere and supported by the Vermont Institutes Equity Division served Vermont girls for 5 years. Middle School Girls Summer Camps, Summer Leadership Institutes for High School Girls, Professional Development for Teachers, Cool Career Field Trips, Power Lunch with Women in Tech contributed to an increase in girls participating in high-level activities and enrolling in IT courses at Vermont schools, Technical Centers, and colleges for 5 years.

We've made a difference but our work is not done. Without mentors and role models, the number of girls in high level IT courses is often less than 1 girl for every 10 boys. In schools with active Tech Savvy Girls program or other explicit gender equity strategies in place, the gap is much less.