The Tech Age Girls (TAG) project address- es the lack of skilled women in the field of information technology (IT) by encour- aging and training the most promising young female computer specialists. Through a process in which they have the opportunity to further develop IT skills, learn from successful female leaders, and design their own community pro- jects, participants take their first steps toward entering one of the most promis- ing and dynamic fields in the global econ- omy. IREX started the Tech Age Girls pro- ject in Kyrgyzstan in 2010 and adminis- tered its second round in 2011.

1. >> TECH AGE GIRLS 2011 REPORT

2. TECH AGE GIRLS 2011
ABOUT TAG
The Tech Age Girls (TAG) project address-
es the lack of skilled women in the field
of information technology (IT) by encour-
aging and training the most promising
young female computer specialists.
Through a process in which they have the
opportunity to further develop IT skills,
learn from successful female leaders,
and design their own community pro-
jects, participants take their first steps
toward entering one of the most promis-
ing and dynamic fields in the global econ-
omy. IREX started the Tech Age Girls pro-
ject in Kyrgyzstan in 2010 and adminis-
tered its second round in 2011.
From June 27 to July 9, 2011 the ef-
forts of the Tech Age Girls (TAG) project
culminated in a two-week conference for
34 outstanding young women throughout
Kyrgyzstan who developed their IT and
leadership skills. These talented, driven
girls have returned to their homes, where
they are using their new skills and expe-
riences to implement projects that will
benefit their communities. Together, the
TAG implementing partners have laid the
foundation for a talented group of young
women to shape their country’s future.
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TAG 2011 JOURNEY...
 From 460 applications, Tech Age Girls
selected 175 quarter-finalists to at-
tend basic IT training. The quarter-
finalists then implemented their very
first community service projects, ded-
icated to Global Youth Service Day
which affected 2,700 people.
Ap
p lic
a t io
n
 Based on their commitment and per-
175 Quarter-
460 Applicants
formance during the quarter-final finalists
receive basic
IT training
round, 88 participants moved on to
the semi-final round to take part in
Global Youth
intermediate IT and leadership train- Service Day
ing, and created their own blogs
about women leaders in their commu-
blog!
nity. s
88 semi-
finalists: 34 finalists
 34 most promising and hard-working intermediate selected for
conference
IT, blogging
participants were then selected as
TAG finalists, and attended a two-
week leadership and intensive IT
training conference held in Bishkek,
Kyrgyzstan.
 TAG finalists returned to their com-
munities, remaining linked in to a
network of young women leaders who
are implementing local projects and
training their peers in key IT skills.
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It all began with 460
applicants...

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The Tech Age Girls 2011 project started in Febru- strongest plans for their community projects were
ary, receiving 460 applications from candidates all chosen to begin the semifinal round of training in
across Kyrgyzstan. One hundred and seventy-five photo and video editing, blogging, and sessions in
quarterfinalists were selected and trained in com- leadership, teambuilding and conflict mitigation.
puter basics and social networking where they
built relationships virtually with their fellow par-
ticipants. On April 15-17, the TAG project quar-
terfinalists planned and implemented community TAG Survey Results:
service projects as part of Global Youth Service
Day, a global event founded in 1988 to mobilize
165 quarterfinalists took survey and answered the follow-
youth throughout the world in service projects
ing question: Did you participate in community projects?
and service learning.
This year, the Tech Age Girls’ community projects
focused on leadership and IT training, health edu-
cation, and aiding those in need. The 2,700 bene-
ficiaries ranged from parents of local students to
low income families with ill children; from the
elderly to kindergarteners. In stepping forward to
lead and promote a change in their communities,
their work served not only those directly impact-
ed, but anyone who was inspired by their exam-
ple. Following one quarterfinalist’s service pro-
ject at a local hospital, one of the facility’s nurs-
es expressed how impressed she was: “This is the
first time that I have seen students visiting our
elderly patients who aren’t their own family…
it is great,” she shared.
In addition to creating their own community ser-
vice projects, the TAG quarterfinalists worked to
recruit their peers in conducting service-related
activities to create lasting change in their
hometowns, and connected online to share their
work with each other and a High School club in
the United States.
Of the 175 quarterfinalists, 88 candidates who
demonstrated the most IT and leadership experi-
ence, superior communication skills, and the
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And then there were 88,
developing new online
resources

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good and bad things happening on the way to
88 Semi-finalists... success. Therefore, no matter what the circum-
stances we face, we should never give up”.
At the beginning of May, the TAG semi-finalists
Each semifinalist worked tirelessly to produce a
had completed training conducted by bloggers
creative and moving blog, and the TAG selection
of Kyrgyzstan and created 81 blogs at kloop.kg.
committee identified 34 finalists to move to the
The blogs were dedicated to female leaders in
next round – the Tech Age Girls Conference.
Kyrgyzstan. To gather information for them,
TAG semi-finalists conducted research online,
and interviewed prominent women leaders in
their communities from the public, private and Are Leaders Born or Made?
non-profit sectors. Before participation After participation
Don’t
Know
The semifinalists appreciated the opportunity 19%
Born %
h: 2
to talk more closely with women whom they 12% Bot
Born: 3%
have admired, and develop vital new confi-
dence and skills in professional exchange. As Made Made
69% 95%
Nazgul Abdykerimova of Naryn shared, “My in-
terview with Narynkul Chorobaeva, Dean of After participating in TAG training events,
Foreign Faculty at Naryn State University, 26% more respondents believed that lead-
ership is gained through experience, ra-
was very beneficial for me; after the conver- ther than genetics alone.
sation, I understood that there are always
“Your dreams become plans only TAG Rukiya Isakova had an oppor-
if you work hard.” tunity to sit down for an interview Nazgul Abdykerimova interviewed
with Jeanne Saraleva, the founder Naryn State University Dean Naryn-
-- Health care worker Olesya of “Women’s Association of Jalal- kul Chorobaeva for her semifinal
Ivanchenko, during her interview Abad,” a local women’s rights blogging project
with Darya Azina organization
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Summer Conference 2011

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Finalists Attend Summer Conference
After months of hard work, 34 distinguished final-
ists gathered for the two-week TAG Conference in
Bishkek from June 27 – July 9. TAG finalists un-
derwent advanced training in IT skills, developed
their knowledge in gender issues and HIV/AIDS,
and participated in workshops on planning small
community projects, applying for grants, and
budgeting. Throughout their coursework, they not
only learned key skills in running a successful pro- TAGs explore the inner workings of the com-
ject, but also gained real-life knowledge for their puters they use at the conference
future professional lives. Aigerim Jyrgalbekova
of Talas shared, “This project helped me to be-
come wiser. Before TAG I didn’t know how to er repair and maintenance empowers them, their
communities, and their schools, where IT profes-
work with the computer, but now I know how to
sionals may be lacking.
do it and I’ve improved my English as well.”
The IT training also included sessions on recording
and producing videos, podcasting, digital photog-
raphy and photo editing, adding Kyrgyz-language
content to Wikipedia, and leveraging the power of
social media.
TAGs Meet Young Successful Leaders
Several guests were invited to the conference –
successful leaders in politics, art, IT, and busi-
Under guidance of Peace Corps volunteers, ness.
the TAGs discuss time management, interview
tips, and writing resumes and cover letters.
They shared not only their memories and sto-
ries of success, but also described
how they overcame difficulties in their lives
The advanced IT training gave TAG finalists an in- and in their careers. Meeting with Elnura Osmon-
timate understanding of the computers they use alieva, a FLEX alumna and independent film mak-
so frequently at school, serving to demystify the er, helped the finalists to understand the im-
devices: the girls learned about computer hard- portance of giving back to their communities. Os-
ware, operating systems, equipment mainte- monalieva underscored how many institutions she
nance, and learned computer security. In rural owes her thanks to for her success: “I feel respon-
Kyrgyzstan particularly, this knowledge is essen- sibility to stay in Kyrgyzstan and develop my
tial: giving the TAGs an understanding of comput- country, she shared with the girls.
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GUEST SPEAKERS: Elnura Osmanalieva,
Young actress & film producer
Shirin Aitmatova, Elvira Sarieva,
Media consultant, Chairman of Supervisory
Deputy of Parliament of Kyrgyzstan Board, Public Television & Radio Corporation
Tolondu Toichubaev, Daniyar Abdykerimov,
Social worker Film producer
“Asel was very enthusiastic in informing stu-
Taking Part in Internships dents about new tools like Facebook, Movie
Maker, Twitter, and Storify,” shared Aida Ab-
dullaeva, Assistant at the Soros Foundation’s Bish-
During the second week of the conference, the kek Resource Center. “What I liked the most is
TAG finalists participated in their first real-world, that she was not only telling them about these
professional internships at international organiza- tools, but also showing how to use them in
tions, businesses, and local NGOs. During their practice.”
four-day internships, the Tech Age Girls applied
their newly acquired skills to perform professional
work and conduct presentations while teaching
others how to use technological tools, answer
phone calls, and communicate with visitors.
At the Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society,
Guliza Almazbek kyzy created a Facebook page
and a Twitter account for the organization. Fol-
lowing Almazbek kyzy’s hard work and the initia-
tive she demonstrated during her internship, her
supervisor invited her to continue working for
the summer, to gain experience and further de-
velop the organization’s social media presence.
During their Summer Conference Internships, sever-
The Soros Foundation in Kyrgyzstan invited Asel al Tech Age Girls established social media presences
for their host companies and organizations on
Rayimbekova as a trainer for their event dedicat- Twitter and Facebook
ed to students, to teach social media tools.
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11. www.irex.org
much greater than she had thought before,
Next Steps for New Leaders “Thanks to TAG I got to know myself better. I
have always known that I want to be useful for
At the confer- the society, but I haven’t realized how much I
ence’s closing cer- wanted it.”
emony, partici-
pants set up a The conference has wrapped up, but the TAG pro-
Tech Expo where ject will continue as three finalists will travel to
they showed dif- the United States this October to represent Kyr-
ferent tools such gyzstan. The participants now have the
Ambassador Spratlen hears about
as Storify, Twit- responsibility to not only lead their local
what new IT tools the TAGs discov- community but also serve as global
ered during their training
ter, Facebook, QR
codes, and Google ambassadors. The youth will return to their com-
Earth to guests including Pamela Spratlen, Am- munities with a worldly perspective and under-
bassador of the United States, officials from the standing that they can apply to their lives and
Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan, the those around them. In preparation for their return
Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Youth, and to their communities, conference participants
several representatives of international organiza- drafted ideas and project proposals about what
tions. they will do after returning their home towns.
Project implementation will begin in late August.
Seven of
these girls Two weeks of conference may be a short time for
were invited career development, but it was the start of a long
and recreat- journey for their future, to become leaders in
ed this Tech their societies and promoting ICT among the youth
Expo for the of Kyrgyzstan. For months, these girls began a
international journey, struggled, learned, shared their
participants knowledge with peers, practiced their skills, and
of the Cen- Seven TAGs gave IT presentations at the made it to the end, and their perseverance will
Central Asia and Afghanistan Women’s take them far.
tral Asia and Economic Symposium
Afghanistan
Women’s Economic Symposium held in Bishkek TAG is part of the Global Connections and Ex-
where again they showcased different ICT tools, change Program, funded by the United States
demonstrating a key element in TAG’s program Department of State and Digital Youth Dialogue
model in which youth train and inspire other project, funded by the United States Embassy in
youth and community members, and thus deepen Bishkek, administered by IREX with support of
the impact and sustainability of the work. the English language teachers’ association FO-
RUM. The TAG conference was partly funded
TAG Participant Dariya Azina realized during the through a grant from Soros Foundation in Kyr-
project that her desire to help her community was gyzstan and assisted by FORUM and Peace Corps
Volunteers in Kyrgyzstan.
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Darya Azina, Amanda Guliza Almazbek
Finalist Japarova, Finalist kyzy, Finalist
10th grader at School 9th grader at School No. 8, 9th grader at National Comput-
No. 2, Karakol Naryn er Gymnasium
No. 5, Bishkek
Following the conference: Following the conference:
Plans to host IT and video pro- Going to make a three day con- Following the conference:
duction training courses ference for more than 20 8 th Plans to form a club to hold IT
and 9th grade girls in Naryn on training, seminars on gender
IT skills, business etiquette, equality, and art classes for
“After my high school graduation I resume writing, and time man- girls in her community.
want to apply to Journalism and agement – like a preparatory
Mass Communications department camp for TAG hopefuls.
in Kyrgyz-Slavic University. I really “When I’ll finish the school I
want to become a good journalist want to study International
and in addition to my professional “In the future I really want to and Comparative Politics in
column in the newspaper, I want be employed in the interna- USA, and become one of the
to lead my own blogs in the inter- tional organizations, and pro- leading politicians in Kyrgyz
net, create useful websites and vide assistance to my country Republic”
promote them.” through various useful pro-
jects”
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