Girls Who Game Program Provides Access to STEM Opportunities

Female student using Minecraft

Microsoft and Dell Technologies are working together to encourage girls to become interested in STEM through an after-school pilot program. Girls Who Game teaches female students about coding and computational thinking using Minecraft: Education Edition.

The pilot program is aiming to engage students in grades four to eight through learner-driven experiences and mentorship opportunities. By building a community of learners, Girls Who Game wants to help girls build relationships and encourage them to continue to develop their coding skills.

"We are thrilled to provide access to technology to girls across North America and give them the chance to explore multiple disciplines and global competencies," said Dell education strategist Katina Papulkas. "If we can engage these young girls early on to develop their skills and build their self-efficacy and confidence and to realize their potential, that would be a major success, essentially encouraging more women to explore STEM careers."

Each pilot school will receive Dell Latitude 3190 devices equipped with Minecraft: Education Edition. Dell and Microsoft are also providing ongoing professional development for program coaches.

About the Author

Sara Friedman is a reporter/producer for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe covering education policy and a wide range of other public-sector IT topics.

Friedman is a graduate of Ithaca College, where she studied journalism, politics and international communications.

Friedman can be contacted at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @SaraEFriedman.

Click here for previous articles by Friedman.


Featured

  • robot typing on a computer

    Microsoft Unveils 'Computer Use' Automation in Copilot Studio

    Microsoft has announced a new AI-powered feature called "computer use" for its Copilot Studio platform that allows agents to directly interact with Web sites and desktop applications using simulated mouse clicks, menu selections and text inputs.

  • AI microchip under cybersecurity attack, surrounded by symbols of threats like a skull, spider, lock, and warning shield

    Report Finds Agentic AI Protocol Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks

    A new report from Backslash Security has identified significant security vulnerabilities in the Model Context Protocol (MCP), technology introduced by Anthropic in November 2024 to facilitate communication between AI agents and external tools.

  • educators seated at a table with a laptop and tablet, against a backdrop of muted geometric shapes

    HMH Forms Educator Council to Inform AI Tool Development

    Adaptive learning company HMH has established an AI Educator Council that brings together teachers, instructional coaches and leaders from school district across the country to help shape its AI solutions.

  • illustration of a human head with a glowing neural network in the brain, connected to tech icons on a cool blue-gray background

    Meta Introduces Stand-Alone AI App

    Meta Platforms has launched a stand-alone artificial intelligence app built on its proprietary Llama 4 model, intensifying the competitive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.