Sarah Wilson
Girlstart from page 39
community for the past 10 years, Muir
continues to stand by the issue of ster-
eotyping what subjects girls are best
in at school. With that said, Muir ex-
plains the program by saying, “This is
fun. It feels fun, it looks fun and it is
fun. But it is also a real matter of eco-
nomic concern and it is a real issue in
the work force environment.”
Girlstart’s concern for girls in the
community has been reflected in the
positive feedback they continue to re-
ceive over the years. “I’m very proud
of the impact Girlstart has had so far,”
says Muir, “77% of the girls in our pro-
gram took Algebra I early, while only
23% of students in general that age
take Algebra I early. It made us realize
our program really works.”
Although Girlstart has experienced
many changes throughout the years,
such as moving locations and adding
programs along the way, the corner-
stones that make Girlstart a very unique,
personable program have not changed.
“The core method we use is a hands-on
experience. They are constantly dig-
ging in and experiencing things. They
are always the active participants. That
40  austinwoman August 2007
will never, ever change. The format has
changed and grown to empower more
girls in the community,” Muir says.
Earlier this year, Girlstart launched
Project IT Girl, their first program for
high school girls. The 60 participants
were introduced to programming, creat-
ing short games and filming. “We have
been recruiting for the past year – that
was the hardest part,” says Kareem.
Project IT Girl is a less formal pro-
gram in that it is more of a college-like
experience and was “a big, big dream
for Girlstart,” according to Muir. Al-
though they were unsure of the suc-
cess of the program, Kareem says, “De-
spite their backgrounds and interests,
they [the students] are all smart, pas-
Girlstart
summer
campers
building
websites
in 2005.
sionate and very plugged-in. Watching
them transform over the year has been
amazing. Their confidence is increas-
ing.” The program also offers intern-
ship and scholarship opportunities to
all participants.
An important aspect of Girlstart
is that its employees and volunteers
strive to reach many girls in the com-
munity, but they also realize the limits
their organization has in the outcome
of the girls’ futures. “At Girlstart, all
girls are at risk for losing interest in
math and science. They don’t have to
become an engineer for this program
to be successful. We know that put-
ting our resources into the girls is a
great investment in their life, no mat-
ter what they decide to do with their
future,” says Muir.
Over the years, Girlstart has ex-
tended their programs, increased the
amount of girls involved in the orga-
nization, and even received Oprah’s
“Use Your Life Award.” After becom-
ing well-known to the press, as well
as in the community, Muir and the
team at Girlstart continue to share the
dream of being able to reach out and
serve more girls in the Austin area.
“We aren’t just serving the girls
at Girlstart. We are serving the com-
munity, as the girls in our programs
touch the lives of their friends and
family members around them.” Muir
says, “When I started, we only had one
program. In so many ways my wild-
est dreams of Girlstart have been sur-
passed. So many opportunities were
created that I never thought about or
imagined. Our 10-year anniversary is
more fuel to have greater dreams.”
Girlstart
1400 W. Anderson Lane
512.916.4775
www.girlstart.org