On August 11, 2026, Amazon's Girls' Tech Day brought together approximately 150 rising sixth-grade girls from Gilroy Unified School District to inspire and motivate them to pursue interests in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). Girls' Tech Day is a free, full-day learning event that focuses on each STEAM area, with activities designed to educate and excite. Students came together at Solorsano Middle School for a day filled with hands-on STEAM-inspired activities and the chance to meet other students who share their curiosity and drive.

“Amazon is committed to creating long-term programs in the communities where we live and work, and we’ve made it a priority to help develop the next generation of creative thinkers and future builders,” said Dr. Natasha Martell Jackson, community engagement manager for Amazon. “By bringing Gilroy students together with leaders in engineering, science, math, and technology, we can provide role models and encourage girls and young women to envision a future for themselves without limits.”

Gilroy Unified School District Superintendent, Dr. Anisha Munshi, welcomed students to the day, and in her opening remarks, she challenged attendees to closely examine the opportunities presented to them at Girls' Tech Day, because careers in STEAM are everywhere. She reminded the girls, “You are the leaders of tomorrow, and we want to see you in those positions that you should consider as next generation STEAM experts.”

Girls participated in five rotating interactive workshops throughout the day that included programming and coding challenges, engineering and creative problem-solving activities, hands-on technology and innovation sessions, got up close and personal at a petting zoo, designed and created their own art projects, and more. Students were organized into color-coded groups and rotated through sessions in a fun, encouraging environment built to spark curiosity and confidence.

GUSD STEAM Coordinator, and former fifth grade teacher, Jennifer Evans shared, “Girls' Tech Day is an important event for our rising sixth grade girls as they transition to middle school. We know that middle school is when girls' interest in math and science begins to wane, as their academic confidence might decrease. We want to support all GUSD students in STEAM pursuits, and this event was the perfect introduction to the future career possibilities for attendees.”

Amazon's Girls' Tech Day is part of a collection of activities Amazon is spearheading to support STEAM education in the Bay Area. This year marks the third annual Girls' Tech Day in Gilroy. With three middle schools in the district, the event has traveled to a different campus each year, and this year Solorsano Middle School played host. Amazon looks forward to continuing to grow this inspiring event in partnership with Gilroy Unified School District. In addition to Girls' Tech Day, Amazon launched a $100,000 Gilroy community fund through the nonprofit ChangeX to provide grants to local organizations and individuals driving positive impact in their communities.

This year marks the eight-year anniversary of Girls' Tech Series. Since the program was launched in 2018, Amazon and organizations around the globe have hosted in-person and virtual events, reaching more than 20,000 girls and young women ages 8–24, to inspire and motivate them to develop and pursue interests and careers in technology.

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