Tea, talk and girls

[Will Knott]

tl;dr version. Read
https://www.usenix.org/blog/my-daughters-high-school-programming-teacher

and I'm wondering should there be a GeekGirl meet-up or a "tea party" on a semi regular (yearly even) basis that includes the ladies (kids and parents) of a CoderDojo, or get women in tech to talk about the issues to the entire dojo?

Please direct replies to the coderd...@googlegroups.com and the
coderdo...@googlegroups.com list.

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The above link was a plea about how a parent observed her daughter at a high school programming class (tl;dr version - teaching ok, but the classmates made it hell. Also advice for a do different)

There is also a big discussion going on the Coderdojo org mailing list and the coderdojo girls list. (let me know if anyone wants details and mails to be forwarded...)

One of the suggestions: 2. Set the tone. On the first day of class, talk about the low numbers of women and lack of diversity in IT, why this is a problem, and how students can help increase diversity in programming. Tell students about imposter syndrome and how to help classmates overcome it. Create an inclusive, friendly, safe learning environment from day one. I thought this was a no brainer, but obviously, it's not.

At Selr8r there is a large number of girls. Literally a room full, they had been taking over the beanbag room until last week where room changes in the building shook things up a little.

They have been self-selecting to team up and do things (also Caoimhe and Laura seems to be mentoring up a storm).

I'm on the outside here. I'm not a woman in tech.

To those of you in the bcc section. Were the GeekGirl dinners and the Blog Awards Ladies Tea parties worth it to keep women in tech?
e.g. http://www.sabrinadent.com/2010/02/20/the-ladies-tea-party-2010/

Should the ladies of a Dojo, (Girls, mentors and parents) go to such a mini-event in a Dojo and meet other women in tech?

Or should some women in tech do a class/talk to anyone interested (male and female) and talk about the same matters (the get the boys and girls while they are still boys and girls argument) at their local dojo?

I'm articulating this badly, since I'm floundering. We've got talented girls at the dojo and I don't want them to decide to leave the IT area because of, well, clueless people like me.

I'm asking about the Dojo I look after (neglectfully), but there is no reason why such talk/meet-up shouldn't work. Awareness and numbers...

take care,

Will

p.s. Keep replies to the mailing lists please. If you don't want to join the mailing list, a direct reply to me can be forwarded to the list.