What do you do when year after year middle school girls across America with interest in math and science gradually step away? What do you when women in the US currently account for 18% of computer science graduates when in 1984 they accounted for 38%? You reach out to them in those formative years in middle school and high school and let them know that they are very much capable of excelling in math and science. That’s what Reshma Saujani took on when she founded the organization, Girls Who Code, in 2012.
A summer emersion program was established for senior and junior high school girls. Seven weeks of intense classes, where not only do they work on computer science skills from robotics to coding but they are also able to gain exposure to the field of technology and gain mentorship from women in the industry. The young girls get the opportunity to have hands on experiences leading them to “build products and develop innovative solutions designed to inspire an interest in and encourage their pursuit of computer science.”[1] Between the various workshops, talks and demonstrations the girls visit technological firms such as AT&T, Google and Foursquare to give them a vision of their possible future. The program has gone from impacting “20 girls in one city to reaching nearly 1,200 girls in ten cities across the country in summer 2015.”[2] Along with the annual summer immersion program, Girls Who Code has created a template and a curriculum for institutions as schools, libraries and youth centers to establish permanent clubs for girls to access across the United States. These clubs serve as after-school programs for girls between 6th and 12th grade who are interested in coding, giving them the opportunity to explore coding in a fun
environment, with support and the ability to meet leading female engineers. Facilitators are provided with resources to educate the girls in coding at all levels, so even if girl has never coded in her life she will have the opportunity to do so in an open environment.
Girls Who Code is continuing to grow and expand its reach, partnering with various organizations and working on various platforms. Recently partnering with Nickelodeon’s Game Shakers to premier an all new television series centered on coding. The hour long television special signals Nickelodeon’s “commitment to building awareness around STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education and coding concepts.” Girls Who Code has also launched its own youtube series, creating a platform for girls to hear from four of Girls Who Code alumnae. Each week we will learn more about why the girls chose coding, answer questions about coding, their journey and provide a range of perspectives on technology.
Girls Who Code tackles the gender gap in the computer fields and is inspiring girls to pursue the many opportunities that are out there. Having impacted the lives of over 10,000 girls, Rehma Saujani is doing exactly as she noted in her TEDTalk, teaching all girls to be brave and go after what they want regardless of being imperfect.
To continue to be inspired by Girls Who Code and Reshma Saujani, look below:
http://girlswhocode.com/press-release-girls-who-code-releases-youtube-series-my-code/
[1] “Summer Immersion Program – Overview,” Girls Who Code, http://girlswhocode.com/programs/.
[2] Ibid.