A. The DigiGirlz Camp application form is now available.

A. There is no cost associated with the camp. Microsoft provides the camp free of charge for attending girls.

A. No. There is not a GPA requirement. However, you must meet specific age and grade requirements as outlined next to each camp in order to apply .

A. No. The camp is open to girls of all skill levels. The camp provides hands-on workshops that are led by supportive instructors who can help you increase your abilities. For girls who may have already taken technology classes in school, the camp workshops will provide you with quick exposure to new technologies but may not go as in-depth as what you experienced in semester long courses.

A. Yes. All girls who meet the age and grade requirements for the camp are encouraged to apply. However, Microsoft does not provide lodging and transportation for the camp. It is up to you to make your own arrangements and pay for these expenses.

A. The camp locations are determined primarily by the location of Microsoft offices where Microsoft employees can participate in the planning and implementation of the multi-day events. Access to on-line curriculum has been provided on this site to enable individual girls or groups, who are not able to attend a camp, to learn some of the same things being taught in the camps.

A. Yes. All girls who meet the age and grade requirements for the camp are encouraged to apply. However, Microsoft does not provide lodging and transportation for the camp. It is up to you to make your own arrangements and pay for these expenses.

A. The camps are offered during the day only. The times may vary slightly by location. Microsoft does not provide lodging and transportation for the camp. Camp participants must make their own arrangements and pay for these expenses.

A. You must be at least 13 years old at the time of application to be eligible, and you can apply only to camps that accept seventh graders (or the equivalent grade level in your country/region). Most of the camps are targeted towards students currently in high school.

A. It is up to each camp coordinator to determine if adult observers are allowed to attend the camp. Some camps have allowed teachers to observe the camp so that the teachers can encourage girls to engage in technology programs throughout the school year. Microsoft is not able to offer continuing education credits for teacher attendance at this camp. If you are a teacher and are interested in observing the camp, please send an e-mail message to DigiGirlz High Tech Camp Questions and include the location of the camp you would like to observe. You will be contacted if the specific camp allows observers.

A. Generally, parents are not allowed to attend the camps. If a camp participant has special needs that require a parent to serve as a personal attendant during the camp, let us know. Some camps have a camp closing event that parents are allowed to attend. If that option is available, information will be provided during the camp acceptance process.

A. There are several reasons why each camp focuses on girls from specific grade levels. These reasons include the number of girls a camp can accommodate, the required maturity level, and the content and complexity of the materials being presented.

A. DigiGirlz has chosen to focus primarily on girls in high school to introduce them to the considerable opportunities and career choices available in the high-tech industry. The goal is to solidify the link between school and work so that girls can make informed decisions during their high school and college years.

A. No, we currently do not host camps for boys. The focus is on girls because of the following alarming statistics about girls in technology, from the NCWIT Scorecard 2010:

• Girls make up fewer than 18 percent of all Advanced Placement (AP) computer science test takers in secondary schools. This is the lowest representation of any AP discipline.
• Between 1983 and 2009, the share of computer science bachelor's degrees awarded to women dropped from 36 percent to 18 percent.
• In 2009, women held 58 percent of professional positions overall but fewer than 25 percent of software engineering positions.
• Women accounted for 9% of "IT Management" positions among 2008-09 Dice Tech Salary Survey respondents.

Download the NCWIT Scorecard 2010 (Portable Document Format file, 8.92 MB)

A. If you have more questions about the DigiGirlz camps, send an e-mail message to DigiGirlz High Tech Camp Questions. Because of the number of e-mail messages we receive regarding the camps, we will not address questions that are already answered on this Web site.