The Mintcast team just did a podcast http://www.mintcast.org/2012/03/episode-108-girls-can/ on a organisation that promotes girls in schools to start getting involved in building and understanding how computers work. The average smuck (that includes both sexes) knows how to run programs on a computer, however knowing how to build them and understand how they work really takes some knowledge. Computers would be a doorstop if it wasn’t for the brilliant programmers that make computers do what they do. You can be the average Joe or Josette that knows how to turn on a computer and run some programs or you can be the one that can build, repair and can understand how computers work. And if you are really sharp, you’ll be the one that designs and programs computers to make them do the things they can do.
Get your school involved. Get your girls involved. Check out http://www.girls-can.org/