Surrounded by computers, gadgets and video game consoles, dozens
of girls gathered in groups to demonstrate their grasp of
today’s technology. There was excitement and a buzz of
productivity at Microsoft’s DigiGirlz High Tech Camp as the high
schoolers collaborated with one another and proudly displayed
the video games they designed. For some Washington-area
youngsters, summer is not just about hanging out at the local
pool or watching the latest Hollywood blockbuster. Instead, it’s
an opportunity to explore less familiar career paths through
camps focused on science and technology. More of these camps are
making girls their target audience, as research shows girls tend
to stray away from technology-related activities by the time
they are teenagers. The number of women earning undergraduate
degrees in computer science has plunged nearly 50 percent since
1985, according to the National Center for Women and Information
Technology. In 1985, women represented 37 percent of computer
science undergraduate degree re