A $100,000 grant from Google will fund a new program from Austin ISD and Girlstart to promote computer science education for girls, AISD announced Nov. 19.

About 100 fourth- and fifth-graders in Girlstart after-school programs at Northwest Austin and East Austin schools will be able to participate in the new science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, program, Girlstart Executive Director Tamara Hudgins said. She said the list of participating schools has not been finalized.

Founded in Austin, Girlstart brings STEM training to almost 12,000 girls a year, mostly in Central Texas, through its after-school and summer camp science programs.

"We focus on girls because 100 percent of girls are underserved in STEM," Hudgins said, noting that only about 25 percent of STEM jobs are occupied by women, and only one in seven engineers in the U.S. are women.

The new program will allow girls to take part in three semesters of computer science programs with science, technology, engineering and math workshops. Hudgins said participants will use new technology including MaKey MaKey, a kit that allows users to turn everyday objects into touchpads and operate Internet programs such as video games using them. Each semester will have a new theme focusing on three computer science areas—robotics, video game development and app development.

"The Austin region has way more STEM jobs than it can possibly fill, so it's a win-win when you train a girl to succeed in a STEM field and then also satisfy a workforce need for one of our local corporations," Hudgins said.

More information is available at www.girlstart.org.