CompTIA, the nonprofit IT industry association, announced its tech workforce charity Creating IT Futures acquired TechGirlz, a nonprofit program designed to inspire middle school girls to explore careers in technology.

Creating IT Futures focuses on training adults for careers in technology; TechGirlz’ focus is on inspiring middle school girls to pursue careers as technologists.

Creating IT Futures had been a longtime supporter of TechGirlz, and the acquisition complements its adult-focused IT-Ready training program and network of partner organizations. With the addition of TechGirlz, Creating IT Futures now has a continuous path of technology prep from middle school through high school and into adulthood.

The TechGirlz program has reached more than 15,000 middle school girls through its TechShopz courses that focus on robotics, digital media and other topics beyond coding. The courses have been taught by volunteer instructors in 10 states and four countries. 

Creating IT Futures plans to incorporate TechGirlz’s best practices for technology curriculum development and engaging middle schoolers into its other programs.

The boards of each company finalized the transaction in January and expect final approval from the state of Pennsylvania on the transaction by the end of this month. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

As part of the acquisition, TechGirlz will integrate its team and operations with Creating IT Futures as one of two primary programs alongside IT-Ready, but continue to function as its own brand from Philadelphia. The TechGirlz team will remain unchanged with no changes in titles. Creating IT Futures will also take over management of the current TechGirlz $1 million capital campaign, already underway through 2020.