Research shows that while many boys stay on track in math, science, and technology, girls have often been allowed to tune out on these subjects without any objections from their parents or teachers. The clubhouse is designed to give inner-city children access to computers. I was alarmed to discover that of the 1,000-plus children who participated during the first two years, only seven percent were girls, and they showed a reluctance to explore unfamiliar software the way the boys did. The relatively low involvement of girls in the Computer Clubhouse is consistent with research. Education experts Carol Nelson and J. Allen Watson suggest that while girls and boys in the early grades are equally enthusiastic about technology, by third or fourth grade they veer off in different directions.
More boys play computer games and surf the Internet than girls.
When it comes to computer games, many education experts claim that girls often prefer programs that feature real-world problem solving, interesting characters, and a sense of purpose. But because few games are designed with girls' preferences in mind, they spend less time than boys learning to navigate computer-based worlds. While the girls are tuning out technology, boys are developing sophisticated ideas about how they can use computers for their own purposes. To help make the clubhouse a more equitable, girl-friendly place, several other female graduate students from Harvard and I established All Girls' Monday. These afternoon sessions gave girls a chance to hone their computer skills in a nurturing, all-female environment.