Watch CBS News

Technology Takes Center Stage At Girl's Summer Camp In Philly

By Paul Kurtz

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A local non-profit has just wrapped a weeklong summer camp that exposed a group of middle school girls to the world of technology.

At Drexel University's Excite Center, small groups of girls, ages 11-15, practiced the pitch they'll make for the apps they've been working on.

Eleven-year-old Samyyah Muhammed and her new friends developed the 'Hazard Protector:'

"If you think you're being followed you can press a button that says that and it'll send it to your emergency contact. It also has a flashlight, a siren, you can share your location."

The product pitch to a panel of business leaders and entrepreneurs was the culmination of a week that included lessons in marketing, creating prototypes, collaboration and teamwork.

Tracy Welson Rossman, founder of TechGirlz, organized this girls-only camp in hopes of spurring interest in entering a world currently dominated by males:

"We're not trying to create eleven-year-old prodigies, we're trying to create girls who become women who understand that they can be part of the innovation economy."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.