There was a recent article on CNNMoney highlighting the gender gap in the technology industry in America. There were some troubling statistics brought up in the piece:

• Only 3 percent of tech startups are run by women.
• Women hold just 24 percent of STEM jobs (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
• In the 2010-2011 school year, only 12.7 percent of bachelor's degrees in computer science, computer engineering and information were awarded to women.

However, the article highlights a summer camp for girls, called Girls Who Code, that is doing its part to buck the trend. The program aims to educate high school girls in many facets of the tech industry. They train these young girls in robotics, Web design and mobile development and bring in mentors from industry giants like eBay, Twitter, Google and Facebook.

Girls Who Code isn't the only camp trying to empower and encourage girls to take an interesting in technology. Microsoft has its own, similar camp--DigiGirlz High Tech Camp. According to the DigiGirlz Web site, "DigiGirlz High Tech Camp for girls works to dispel stereotypes of the high-tech industry."

Camps like these encourage and empower young women to buck the notion that tech is an industry for men. These kinds of efforts are invaluable as the technology sector continues to take a larger role in our economy and becomes a larger presence in our everyday lives.

What do you think about programs like Girls Who Code and DigiGirlz?

FletcherPR is a national communications firm that specializes in reaching women through the power of media. Headquartered in Knoxville, TN with staff in Nashville & Los Angeles, we are a full-service agency providing strategic public relations, social media and marketing communications services to our clients throughout the U.S.