The Future is Female- and STEM-Focused at Austin’s Newest Tuition-Free 6th–12th Grade Girls’ Charter School.
By Dana Stuart Browning
Dana Stuart Browning is the founder of The Texas Girls School, an innovative educational community focused on empowering young women through STEM. Contact Dana at dana@TexasGirlsSchool.org.
I never imagined I’d open a girls’ school.
A lifelong Texan, I came to Austin for college and never left. I watched this city grow from a quirky college town to an innovation hub — yet one thing has stayed the same: Austin is where big ideas take root and thrive.
I’ve spent the last 20 years in public education, always asking: How can we do this better? How do we connect what happens in a classroom to the real world? When I earned my principal certification, I didn’t expect to launch a new tuition-free charter school. But when we asked families what they needed, the message was clear — they wanted another option for their girls.
So I said yes.
The Texas Girls School is opening in Northwest Austin in 2025. Our mission? Empowering girls through STEM, project-based learning and strong relationships. But more than that, we’re creating a place where girls don’t have to wait until adulthood to find their voice — they know their brilliance from day one.
And the need is clear. A 2017 Microsoft study showed that girls’ interest in STEM drops sharply between the ages of 11 and 15 — not because of ability (in fact, girls often outperform boys in math and science at that age), but because of a lack of visible role models and real-world encouragement.
When girls are surrounded by women in STEM, when they build things that matter to them and when their ideas are taken seriously, something shifts. Graduates of girls’ schools are six times more likely to pursue STEM majors — fields that lead to high-wage, high-impact careers. At The Texas Girls School, we’re making that pipeline visible and possible, right here in Austin.
Even before opening our doors, I’ve seen what’s possible when girls are empowered. One high schooler wrote and published a book about giraffes — and landed a job at the Dallas Zoo. Another created an app to raise awareness about wildlife conservation. And in one powerful example, students organized a school-wide water walk to raise awareness about global water scarcity — leading and fundraising to help build a clean water well in East Africa.
When girls see their impact — and see women leading in those spaces — they don’t just participate. They take off.
And when teachers are trusted, everything shifts. We're building a school that keeps great educators in the field by honoring their brilliance and giving them space to lead. Outdoor learning isn’t an extra — it’s required. Creativity, innovation and joy are non-negotiables.
Austin is the only place I could have built this. I still remember writing for Austin Woman Magazine years ago, back when the skyline was smaller. To come full circle now, as a Connects Club member and founder of a new girls’ school, is deeply personal.
From monthly meetups to spontaneous collaborations, I’m reminded again and again: we don’t have to do this work alone.
Being an Austin Woman means leading with heart. It means choosing the bold thing, even when it’s hard. It means lifting others as you rise.
And it means believing — stubbornly, unapologetically — that education can be amazing.
So what’s my mantra these days? Keep growing. Keep going. Even when it’s messy. Especially when it matters. Because that’s what Austin women do. And I’m proud to be one of them.
