The Lilith Computer Group
Keeping Girls Connected in the Digital Age

By: Jennifer Seeker Conroy
As a middle school student, Susannah Camic found the school computer group to be a boys' club. She made it her mission to change that and to open the world of computers to more girls. When she was in 10th grade, Camic wrote a research paper outlining the disparity in technological opportunities. She made a case for school programming directed at getting girls interested in technology.

Camic's school paper was forwarded to the University of Wisconsin College of Engineering. UW faculty members were impressed with Camic's ideas. Kathryn Price is the university's Madison Metropolitan School District Partnerships Coordinator and was tasked with launching computer clubs for girls in middle schools based on Camic's proposal. In 1997, the Lilith Computer Group began in three Madison area middle schools. It eventually grew to ten schools and included an annual spring computer fair at the UW to bring the girls together.

Several grants helped cover the cost of software and equipment. In 1999, a $50,000 grant from AFFW gave the project a big boost. "The funding from AFFW was crucial," Price said. "It allowed us to expand the program to several new school sites and reach many more students."

The Lilith club gave middle school girls reason to be excited about technology and showed them it wasn't just for the boys. "We collected survey data on participants and from school staff that indicated the program significantly increased students' confidence in computer technology and made them more aware of future career options in IT," said Price. "Teachers reported increased skill and willingness to take risks in the classroom."

The Lilith Group is no longer an active program at the university and school district, but its philosophies and resources are ingrained in current computer club opportunities. Price says it impacted the lives of hundreds of girls and successfully brought together many partners including AFFW.

Price says the Lilith Group with AFFW's support fulfilled a unique niche at the time, and its influence and message are still powerful. "It's vital for girls, especially young women who are first-generation college bound and/or from low-income families, to have ample access to computer technology and to be fully supported in their IT learning and future career explorations," Price said. "We've felt that the need for a girls-only club concept has shifted due to earlier access and overall societal attention to the "Digital Divide," as well as the role of the Lilith program in highlighting this need originally at the local school level, and increasing staff awareness of this particular gap in services."

This project shows the commitment of AFFW to remove obstacles and to provide opportunities for all girls and women in our community. AFFW's grant also helped realize the vision of a talented young woman, Susannah Camic. Camic received her undergraduate, graduate, and law degrees from Yale University and now is a successful attorney in Washington, D.C.