FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 22, 2018

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phil West, Orange Cone Agency
512.769.3838, phil.west@orangeconeagency.com

GIRLSTART TO HOST 2018 EDITION OF GAME CHANGERS ANNUAL LUNCHEON, WITH BROTOPIA AUTHOR EMILY CHANG AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER, ON OCT. 23

WHAT:
Girlstart, continuing its mission of inspiring girls toward STEM education and STEM careers, will welcome Emily Chang, the author of Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys’ Club of Silicon Valley and Bloomberg Technology anchor and executive producer, to its 9th annual Game Changers Annual Luncheon on Tuesday morning.

The Game Changers event supports STEM education for girls, and raises vital funds to support Girlstart’s core initiatives including our free after school STEM programs. In addition to Chang’s keynote (moderated by SXSW Chief Programming Officer Hugh Forrest), Girlstart will honor five women role models in STEM at the event:

• Sarah Adler, Cofounder of Spoon University; Vice President of Product at Discovery
• Marla Britt Fields, PMP, Sr. Technical Program Manager at Velo3D
• Erika Linford, Vice President, Technology at Southwest Airlines
• Trisa Thompson, Former SVP & Chief Responsibility Officer at Dell
• Alisha Mehta, Girlstart Alumna and current Associate, Jackson Walker LLP

Also being honored as this year’s STEM Champion is MilliporeSigma for their support of year-round Girlstart After School AND Summer Camp programs outside of Texas.

WHEN:
Tuesday, Oct. 23, 11 am to 1 pm

WHERE:
JW Marriott Austin (110 E. 2nd)

ON-SITE CONTACT:
Phil West, 512.769.3838

ONLINE INFO:
girlstart.org/game-changers/game-changers-austin

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 16, 2018

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phil West, Orange Cone Agency
512.769.3838, phil.west@orangeconeagency.com

GIRLSTART TO HOST ANNUAL GIRLS IN STEM CONFERENCE IN AUSTIN, ALLOWING MORE THAN 500 GIRLS TO MEET AND LEARN FROM STEM PROFESSIONALS, SATURDAY, MARCH 24

Girlstart, the non-profit organization dedicated to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education for girls, is bringing the Girls in STEM Conference, one of its most important programs, back to Austin on Saturday, March 24th at Travis High School (1211 E. Oltorf).

The 13th annual edition of the event provides more than 500 4th through 8th grade girls the opportunity to meet and learn from a variety of women who work as STEM professionals throughout Central Texas.

“Girlstart’s mission is not just about teaching girls to love STEM,” said Tamara Hudgins, executive director for the organization. “It’s to show them what’s possible when they get to college, study in STEM fields, and graduate to STEM careers. Central Texas has a number of amazing women who solve problems and continually move our understanding of the world forward. This program lets girls learn from those amazing women firsthand.”

The girls will all participate in an opening workshop activity building a prototype with their groups, and then will attend sessions led by female STEM professionals from a range of leading STEM companies and institutions for hands-on STEM workshops. These include Acxiom, College of Menimonee Nation, DPR Constrction, Forcepoint, Luminex, Microsoft, MilliporeSigma, and SAS Institute. MilliporeSigma will be bring its Curiosity Cube, a retrofitted shipping container transformed into a mobile science lab, coming to Austin as part of a nationwide 2018 tour.

Individual girls, as well as groups affiliated with schools, maker cohort, or other organizations, can get additional information and register online at:

http://girlstart.org/our-programs/girls-in-stem-conference/

ABOUT GIRLSTART
Girlstart is specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM. We provide programming that promotes girls’ early engagement and academic success in STEM, encourages girls’ aspirations and persistence in STEM education and careers, and incubates a talented and diverse STEM workforce. Its innovative, nationally-recognized programs include after-school and summer camps for students, professional development for teachers, and community and online STEM education outreach programs. Girlstart cultivates a culture where risk is rewarded, curiosity is encouraged, and creativity is expected. As a result, Girlstart girls are connected, brave, and resilient. Girlstart makes girls more successful and inspires them to take on the world’s greatest challenges. Founded in 1997 in Central Texas, Girlstart has provided its high-quality programs across Texas and in eight other states. Now, Girlstart’s year-round programming has successfully scaled to Houston and North Texas, and is expanding to Boston and the Bay Area.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2018

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phil West, Orange Cone Agency
512.769.3838, phil.west@orangeconeagency.com

GIRLSTART’S KRISTI ESCHBERGER HONORED BY NATIONAL AFTERSCHOOL ASSOCIATION AS ONE OF ITS 2018 NEXT GENERATION OF AFTERSCHOOL HONOREES

Girlstart’s senior program coordinator, Kristi Eschberger, has been named by The National AfterSchool Association (NAA), the lead organization for the advancement of the after school professional, as one of NAA’s 2018 Next Generation of Afterschool honorees.

Eschberger, initially a college intern with the non-profit organization dedicated to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education for girls, became a full-time staff member in 2012, and has since been involved in growing and developing its To Go Summer Camps across the nation as well as its Central Texas after school and summer camps.

“We’re proud of Kristi for being recognized by the NAA for her contributions to Girlstart After School and Girlstart Summer Camp programming,” said Tamara Hudgins, executive director for Girlstart. “Kristi has been instrumental in the growth of our programming, and she’s no doubt deserving to be named among the best of the next generation of after school educators across the nation.”

In selecting NAA’s Next Generation of Afterschool 2018, proudly sponsored by S&S Worldwide, the National AfterSchool Association sought to highlight emerging professionals who are active in the after school community—young leaders who possess passion, creativity and a commitment to youth; who embrace professional development; who embody the NAA core competencies. Honorees were profiled in the Winter 2018 issue of NAA’s AfterSchool Today magazine. To view the digital edition of the magazine, click here.

“The National AfterSchool Association believes that strong leadership in after school programs have a direct impact on child and youth development,” said Gina Warner, President and CEO of NAA. “We count on these emerging leaders to help shape the next generation of the after school field.”

An estimated 10.2 million children participate in after school programs each year and the industry employs an estimated 850,000. The National AfterSchool Association is the membership association for professionals who work with children and youth in diverse school and community-based settings to provide a wide variety of extended learning opportunities and care during out-of-school hours.

ABOUT GIRLSTART
Girlstart, founded in Austin in 1997, is one of the largest community-based informal STEM education nonprofits in the nation specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM, through year-round programming that promotes girls’ early engagement and academic success in STEM, encourages girls’ aspirations and persistence in STEM education and careers, and incubates a talented and diverse STEM workforce. Its innovative, nationally-recognized programs include after-school and summer camps for students, professional development for teachers, and community and online STEM education outreach programs. Girlstart cultivates a culture where risk is rewarded, curiosity is encouraged, and creativity is expected. As a result, Girlstart girls are connected, brave, and resilient. Girlstart makes girls more successful, and inspires them to take on the world’s greatest challenges.

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