What is TechGirls?
TechGirls is a U.S.-based summer exchange program designed to expand the talent pipeline in STEM. Young women (ages 15-17) from the United States and select countries gain valuable hands-on training leading them to pursue higher education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
In 2025, the program will support 111 young women from 37 participating countries/territories and 13 U.S. peers in a dynamic three-week U.S.-based experience with a seven-month mentoring program (including pre-and post-exchange).
The core of the TechGirls program is a 23-day experience in the United States. In partnership with Virginia Tech University, participants engage in an interactive tech camp that provides an in-depth examination of cutting-edge technologies and various educational and professional paths in STEM fields. Then, TechGirls travel to a city around the USA (Austin, Cincinnati, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, or Seattle) for community immersion and STEM career exploration. The TechGirls programming yields a multiplier effect as participants return home to conduct community-based projects with seven months of mentorship. It is estimated that over 44,000 people have participated in these projects since 2012.
TechGirls is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Eligible Countries: TechGirls will be competitively recruited and selected from the following regions/countries and territories:
- Sub-Saharan Africa (AF) – Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zambia
- East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) – Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Mongolia, Taiwan, and Vietnam
- Europe and Eurasia (EUR) – Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Türkiye
- Middle East and North Africa (NEA) – Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, and Tunisia
- South and Central Asia (SCA) – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
- Western Hemisphere (WHA) – Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Suriname
- United States of America
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Testimonials
“TechGirls was a life changing experience. It made me want to become a better person and a braver woman in the future. ”
Rania, Algeria
"I realized how fundamentally similar we all were despite coming from different cultural backgrounds."
Isabelle, USA
"We enjoyed meeting intelligent and charming young women from the Middle East."
Karen, VA, host family
"I really enjoyed learning more about different cultures and meeting the girls. They were smart, well-spoken, and inspired me to work harder."
Elizabeth, USA
"We have met some wonderful girls, and even travelled to their countries to meet their families."
Skip, VA, host family
“The program gave me the confidence I needed to pursue a path in engineering. It helps knowing that I am part of an amazing community of girls just like me; girls with big aspirations and clear visions for their professional lives.”
Elyse, Rwanda
The job shadow experience "enabled [TechGirls] to visualize a future with great potential."
Amy, DC, job shadow host
“I am forever indebted to the TechGirls program for showing me that I too could be part of the change I wanted to see in the world.”
Esther, Fiji
“This program was amazing to teach and I loved experiencing the different cultures and personalities of each of the girls.”
Andrew, Teaching Assistant at Virginia Tech
“TechGirls is where people taught me that there are girls fighting for opportunities just like me all around the globe. There is something special in each and every one of their stories, just like in mine. ”
Diyora, Uzbekistan
Ngan – Empowered to Make an Impact
Ngan, TechGirls 2023, Vietnam Every day, I see myself working hard to pursue my dreams, filled with hopes and passion. I see myself being supported by girls from around the world who give me advice and simply check in to say, “Hey, how is it going?” I see myself supporting girls in my community and Read More »
Medine – “There Are No Limits to My Dreams”
Medine, TechGirls 2022, Türkiye The summer of 2022 was one of the greatest, most exciting, and educational experiences of my life, thanks to the TechGirls Program. This incredible journey, which I embarked on alone at the age of 15, transformed me in every way. That summer is so special to me, I remember every moment Read More »
Sophie – The Sky is the Limit
Sophie, TechGirls 2023, USA Imagine stepping into a world where curiosity reigns supreme, and the air is charged with the buzz of innovation. That’s exactly the atmosphere that the TechGirls program effortlessly conjured. Amongst a cohort of brilliant minds, each with their unique spark, we forged a sisterhood of aspiring tech trailblazers. It was not Read More »
Siena – Creating My Own Way
Siena, TechGirls 2023, Honduras My friend and fellow 2023 TechGirl Keona quoted Coldplay during her speech at the Department of State. “You’re a sky full of stars”, she said. Remembering her words still makes me shed a tear and most importantly, it makes me believe that the world is full of potential – we just Read More »
Allison – Embracing Global Citizenship
Allison, TechGirls 2022, USA Going into TechGirls, I never could have imagined what this program would begin to mean to me. As a girl who had never been overseas before, I used to dream about foreign countries. But they weren’t real to me until TechGirls. There, I met people who had been born and raised Read More »
María – Science and Technology: Making a Positive Change
María, TechGirls 2023, Costa Rica Since I was a little girl, I always liked questions. I wondered how things worked, why they worked that way, and how I could make them work better. As I grew up, science and technology became the answers to many of those questions. They fascinated me, and from that moment Read More »
2024 NextGen TechCamp Jordan: Connecting TechGirls and TechWomen Alumnae
The NextGen TechCamps are STEM-focused workshops that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) hosts each year in multiple locations across the globe. As alumnae of ECA programs, TechGirls and TechWomen apply for and participate in these events to connect with fellow women in STEM and develop innovative solutions for their communities. This year’s Read More »
Erin – Opening Doors and Inspiring Youth
Erin, TechGirls 2022, Indonesia TechGirls was another door in the long, long journey of my life. It might have been only three weeks, but it sure felt like a giant leap for me. Those three weeks gave me years worth of experience. I made friends from all over the world, I met so many remarkable Read More »
Britney – Fired Up and Ready to Make An Impact
Britney, TechGirls 2022, Cameroon Coming back from the TechGirls program in 2022, I was so fired up to take giant strides. With the guidance of the TechGirls RAs, program facilitators, and my Local Engagement Coordinator, I received maximum support to start “NewFangled Education”. NewFangled Education is an initiative put in place to empower young people Read More »
The 2023 TechGirls Program
The 2023 TechGirls program was nothing short of memorable! 125 TechGirls from all over the world participated in the 2023 TechGirls program, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State (DOS). After diligently completing their applications in December 2022 and waiting for submission updates, finalists finally received notifications and preparations began for their arrival in Read More »
Sawsane – Pushing Past My Own Limitations
Sawsane, TechGirls 2022, Algeria I sent my application to the TechGirls program in the very last hours before the application deadline. Can you guess why? Because I thought: so many amazing girls are going to apply, and there is nothing special about me, so why would they choose me? Yet, I made it. I had Read More »
The 2023 TechGirls Capstone Event: Memories and Motivation
On the sunlit morning of Monday, July 31, 2023, the 2023 TechGirls – 125 young women from 36 countries and territories – gathered together at the U.S. Department of State (DOS) dressed in their best attire for the program’s official Capstone event. During the past three weeks of this summer exchange funded by the Bureau Read More »
Minnila – Helping Students Discover Their Passion
Minnila, TechGirls 2022, USA For as long as I can remember, I have been fond of STEM. Whenever someone would ask me, “Minnila, what do you want to be when you grow up?”, my answer was always, “a doctor”. My interest in STEM was immeasurable because STEM subjects just made sense. There was always a Read More »
Milena – ‘Siri-ous women’ in the STEM field
Milena, TechGirls 2022, Montenegro ‘Can you name three female scientists or inventors you know?’ For a long time, I was one of the people who only knew about Marie Curie and Ada Lovelace, and I would try really hard to think about anyone else. From an early age, I knew about Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein, Read More »
Kreeshna – Conserving Wildlife and Finding Personal Growth
Kreeshna, TechGirls 2022, Kenya When I was asked to write about my TechGirls experience, I truly did not know where to start. It was incredible how so much could have happened in just 3 weeks, and how much I had grown from those experiences. This program opened my eyes to a totally different world and Read More »
Rihab – TechGirls: A Bright Start and a Huge Push!
Rihab, TechGirls 2015, Morocco At a young age, I had the chance to take part in the TechGirls 2015 program. I was one of the lucky girls to be selected among hundreds of Moroccan applicants. I flew to Washington, D.C. for one of the most life-changing experiences. Between the TechCamp, the job shadow experience, the Read More »
Celina – Raising Climate Change Awareness
Celina, TechGirls 2022, Argentina Ever since I was a child, I’ve been interested in science and nature. From the first moment I heard about the TechGirls program, I dreamed of being part of it. Not only because of the opportunity of learning about different STEM fields, but also for the possibility of sharing this experience Read More »
Elyse – Forging My Path to Engineering
Elyse, TechGirls 2022, Rwanda I cannot remember a time when I was not fascinated by machines. As a child, my father had gotten tired of me asking how different devices worked. Once, I even broke apart the blender to check what made it spin. Obviously, I ended up being scolded, but my curiosity never diminished. Read More »
Era – Growing with STEM
Era, TechGirls 2022, Kosovo An environment where we could flourish, expand our ideas and collaborate with other changemakers, was created in the TechGirls program. This program allowed me to view the world from new perspectives. In addition, it gave me clearer lenses as I immersed myself in learning more about 35 different cultures in the Read More »
Esther – Sowing Seeds of Potential
Esther, TechGirls 2022, Fiji Growing up, I have always wondered what my purpose in life was. I began to search for ways to spend my time in hopes to ignite an interest that would bring me happiness and satisfaction. I discovered that as I assisted loved ones in my community, it gave me a sense Read More »
