AWS Girls’ Tech Day in Virginia (and beyond) is back October 1

If you are (or know) a school-age girl or a young woman pondering your next step, know this, the technology industry needs you. So do the broader fields of science, engineering, arts, and math. And while progress is being made, not enough young women across the globe are pursuing these science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) disciplines in school and in the workforce.

AWS Girls’ Tech Day is helping to change that.

A young girls sits in the audience at Girls' Tech Day with her hands over mouth in excitement.

This global initiative kicks off at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on October 1 in Prince William County, Virginia, followed by similar events in other communities around the world. Girls’ Tech Day is a half-day learning event that focuses on each of the STEAM areas with activities designed to educate, inspire, and to be enjoyed.

Working in partnership with local organizations such as SPARK, the Education Foundation for Prince William County Public Schools, and other local organizations, the program returns this year as an in-person event after two years in a virtual format. Through this free program, AWS will team up with local school districts to engage more than 500 middle school, high school, and college students across Prince William County and the entire District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia region. Registration for the program opens September 1.

A woman stands on the stage and resents at Girls' Tech Day.

Students will jam to a live DJ while they build robots and take part in other activities that will help educate participants in a fun and interactive way. Participants will also experience what it is like to be a forensic scientist and crime scene investigator by collecting and processing evidence from a mock crime scene. The program will showcase a wide range of tech careers and introduce participants to female tech trailblazers who will share their career journeys.

“We are excited to kick off this event in-person once again to support students in Prince William County and the surrounding area, building on our ongoing efforts to bring STEAM education opportunities to young learners,” said Cornelia Robinson, global lead of inclusion and outreach for AWS. “Women represent a quarter or less of workers in computing and engineering, and we want to do our part to inspire and support students and young women in the communities we call home.”

Girls’ Tech Day is just one way AWS is supporting STEAM education in Virginia. In 2019 Prince William County opened the world’s first

, an educational lab that provides students, educators, and communities with hands-on technical education and cloud computing training. AWS has now funded 38 spaces globally, including at Wakefield High School in Arlington County, Virginia. A new space is underway for Loudoun County, slated to open in the fall, which will also serve as an educational training hub for teachers in northern Virginia.

Here is an overview of Girls’ Tech Day 2022, with more information on sessions and speakers to come:

Middle school program

The Real CSI
Coding Experience
Who's the Artist? Engineer or Machine
STEAM Activity Zone
Drone workshop
AWS workshop

High school and college program

Making your STEAM Story for College and Career: A New Look at the Personal Narrative
Building Your Brand panel
Mental Health roundtables
Career Readiness workshop

Girls’ Tech Day was launched in 2018, and since then, it has hosted in-person and virtual events in cities across the globe, reaching nearly 7,000 girls and young women aged 8-24, to inspire and motivate them to develop and pursue interests and careers in technology. Learn more about AWS Girls' Tech Day.

AWS Girls’ Tech Day in Virginia (and beyond) is back October 1

How AWS is helping women and girls succeed in technology careers

Middle school program

High school and college program