The ConocoPhillips Girls Talk Tech organization invites girls on a quest – to imagine themselves in a career in an exciting and fulfilling STEM-related field.

The Girls Talk Tech Quest (“Quest”) is a virtual spin-off of the Girls Talk Tech Fest, an in-person event held at ConocoPhillips global headquarters in Houston.

“At the beginning of 2020, we were riding high, having just wrapped up the first Girls Talk Tech Fest on our campus,” said Keleigh Maire, IT Supervisor, Corporate Staffs Shared Services. “The Fest was a huge success, and everyone was talking about it. Momentum was on our side, and we couldn’t wait to plan the next event. Then, Covid.”

Though disappointed, the group was determined to find ways to continue to fulfill their mission to educate, encourage and empower girls to pursue technology for the future – even during a pandemic.

“With everything shut down, we knew we needed to think outside the box about how we could bring the Girls Talk Tech experience to our communities,” said Molly Wagner, IT Analytics Analyst. “Virtual was the answer, but what would that look like? And how could we make it meaningful and worthwhile for our audience?”

The Quest takes shape

It started small, with a recording of a Girls Talk Tech panel. During a typical in-person panel, the group brings lunch to a school or program, has introductions and a short discussion, and answers questions while passing out swag. It’s the group’s primary form of outreach and a key feature of the Girls Talk Tech Fest.

“Once we recorded the panel video, we were off and running,” said Sara Lunsford, BI Operations Analyst. “The pandemic had knocked us down, but we were on our way back up. We thought, why not record everything we do at the Fest so the girls can have the full experience without actually being on our campus?”

The Quest quickly grew from one video to many, including tours of the company’s two corporate offices (Houston, Texas, and Bartlesville, Okla.), interviews and interactions with IT employees, introductions of the Girls Talk Tech committee members, and a light-hearted Day in the Life mini-series.

“We chose the Quest content based on feedback from previous events,” said Miranda Gleason, Data Standards Analyst. “The girls loved touring our facilities, so we baked in the campus tours. And they enjoyed hearing what it was like to work in IT, so we created this fun Day in the Life mini-series. We hope girls will have as much fun watching these videos as we had making them!”

The Quest is a compilation of videos which, watched in order, provides a full-spectrum view of what it’s like to work in a Digital/Information Technology organization at a large company like ConocoPhillips. While the videos are sequenced and organized, they can be consumed one at a time, in any order.

“The Quest isn’t meant to replace our in-person events – we still plan to host girls on our campus as we’re able. But it provides an enriching experience for girls who might not otherwise be able to see this content,” said Wagner. “Since we can’t invite everyone to our campus, and we can’t visit every school and program, this is our way of bringing Girls Talk Tech to the community.”

A new home for the Quest

The Quest is available via a link off the newly established Girls Talk Tech home page.

“Having a web presence is something we had wanted to do for a long time,” said Paloma Urbano, Manager, Analytics. “With our own landing page, we can consolidate our content and connect the work we’re doing with our company’s broader community outreach.”

In 2020, the company’s Community Programs team launched a new set of programs that build on the company’s STEM education programs and address racial equality and the barriers that exist for students that prevent them from pursuing STEM careers.

“We identified partners with local expertise to help build the pipeline from K-12 education to well-paying jobs, particularly targeted to underrepresented students from lower income backgrounds,” said Ty Johnson, Sr. Advisor, Sponsorship and STEM. “These programs help students successfully navigate their way from high school to college or vocational training to full-time employment. Girls Talk Tech aligns with this focus and helps to further our outreach and reputation in the community.”

Inspiring the next generation

With the home page and the Quest now live, Girls Talk Tech hopes to share their message more broadly and inspire even more high school girls to consider a career in a field that welcomes them with open arms.

“Women continue to be underrepresented in STEM careers, which is a disservice all the way around. We need the talent and diverse perspectives these young girls bring,” said Maire. “Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge. If we could tell girls anything, it’s that we believe in you, and you can do anything you set your mind to.”