Tech-Loving Girls From North Africa and the Middle East Descend on the U.S.

http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/08/10/tech-girls-exchange-program-stem?cmpid=tpdaily-eml-2015-08-10

Twenty-seven tech-savvy teenage girls from the Middle East and North Africa are having the time of their lives in the U.S. right now, proving their math and science chops and setting an example for girls around the world.

Hosted by the U.S. State Department and Legacy International, the young girls—who range between 15 to 17 years of age and hail from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Yemen, and Tunisia—are currently working side by side with American teens and leaders in the tech industry at the fourth annual TechGirls exchange program in Washington, D.C., and at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Advertisement

The exchange program aims to engage, inspire, and empower a new generation of women and girls in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields, according to Mara Tekach, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for professional and cultural exchanges.

“[They] are developing a foundation of skills, experience, and networks that can lead to higher education and future career opportunities,” Tekach tells TakePart. “Upon returning home, alumnae influence hundreds more students to become TechGirls and promote a positive vision for their countries and the region.”