ProjectCSGirls celebrates the wonder of young technologists in training

While you may have been out helping make Wonder Woman an historic box office success, this past weekend ProjectCSGirls celebrated some wonderful entrepreneurs and technologists—who haven’t even started high school yet.

See, the DC-based nonprofit hosted a competition challenging young middle school girls to use technology to create improvements and advancements in society. This year, they asked contestants to focus on issues surrounding “global health, a safer world, and intelligent technology,” according to their website.

Hosted at George Mason University and the Marriot Fairview Park Hotel, the organization’s national gala was a two day conference that featured guests speakers, workshops, student pitches and of course the coveted awards ceremony.

This year, the finalists created projects that ranged from addressing clean energy sources to streamlining emergency response systems. The judging panel listed ten proposals, helmed by thirteen young ladies, as finalists from across the country:

• Srihita Adabala (Brentwood Middle School, Tennessee)
• Anika Kathuria (Bridgewater-Raritan Regional Middle School, New Jersey)
• Elinor Rosen (Brookline Heath School, Massachusetts)
• Isabela Perdomo (Norman S. Edelcup/Sunny Isles Beach K-8, Florida)
• Nivedita Sanghavi (Evergreen Elementary School, California)
• Nidhi Jallepally (Gale Ranch Middle School, California)
• Laura Rosiles (Sun Ridge Middle School, Texas)
• Sruthi Sankararaman, Sreenidhi Sankararaman (Rachel Carson Middle School)
• Emma Mele (Warren Hills Regional Middle School, New Jersey)
•  Pajaka Lakshmin, Aiko Lozar (Aviara Oaks Middle School, California)

These future entrepreneurs and wonder women in training represented middle schools from seven different states across the country and their communities’ pride was overflowing:

Proud of 3 RCMS students who R 2017 National Finalists @projectcsgirls for their Chesapeake Bay mobile app. What an accomplishment & event! pic.twitter.com/imBScXNDRr

— Sascha Simkanich (@TeachCSPhanatic) June 4, 2017

@projectcsgirls finalist presents machine learning neural network project for wind power… @smithmegan in front row. Middle school girls. pic.twitter.com/xj7otmkNQD

— DocM – ready for the new year (@Vamegabyte) June 4, 2017

So many inspiring project presentations by the finalists of @projectcsgirls Very impressed by these young ladies! pic.twitter.com/03sihsz4r8

— Regina Hannemann (@ReginaHannemann) June 4, 2017

In addition to their annual gala, the nonprofit also hosts workshops throughout the year and across the country to introduce middle school girls to different computer science topics like app development, robotics, and game programming.

New project submissions for their competition won’t open again until the fall, but to learn more about ProjectCSGirls’ programming, and encourage more young Amazonians-in-training, visit their website here.