Announcing Girls Who Code

We’re excited to be announcing Girls Who Code to the world today and are thrilled to have Twitter, GE, Google and eBay on board at our launch.

See below for the full announcement and head over to www.girlswhocode.com to learn more!

Industry Leaders Combine Forces in New Initiative to Increase Number of Women in Engineering and Technology 

Girls Who Code Leads Effort to Close Gender Gap, Launches New Model for Computer Science Education

NEW YORK, June 26, 2012—With the backing of Twitter, General Electric, Google and eBay, a new initiative launched today aims to increase the number of young women entering the technology and engineering sectors.

Girls Who Code, founded by former New York City Deputy Public Advocate Reshma Saujani, will launch its inaugural program in New York City this summer and introduce programs in cities across the country in 2013.

“Girls Who Code brings together the public and private sectors to address a troubling divide in an industry that is the future of our economy,” said Saujani. “While 56% of college graduates are women, they represent just 12% of computer science degrees. We can close that gap by encouraging teenage girls to explore, learn and experience the wonders of technology before they graduate high school.”

Together with top engineers, educators and recruiters from Google, Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon, Girls Who Code has developed a new model for computer science education, pairing intensive instruction in web design, robotics and mobile development with high-touch mentorship led by New York’s leading female engineers and entrepreneurs. 

“Twitter wants to help inspire the next generation of computer scientists. Girls Who Code aims to do exactly that,” said Dick Costolo, CEO of Twitter. “Our support for this initiative represents our commitment to invest in, encourage and empower more women pursuing opportunities in technology.

The Girls Who Code model is uniquely designed to educate, inspire and equip young women from underserved communities with the skills and resources to pursue opportunities in technology and engineering.  The eight-week, intensive summer program will feature talks and lectures by Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, General Electric CMO Beth Comstock, and Gilt Groupe Founder Alexis Maybank, as well as field trips to Google, Facebook, Foursquare, and General Assembly.

Girls Who Code will begin its inaugural program on July 9 at AppNexus, the second largest engineering firm in New York City. Its initial cohort includes a diverse group of high school girls chosen in an application and review process; they represent 12 ethnicities and all five boroughs of New York City.

Following its launch in New York, the organization is partnering with industry leaders to bring the Girls Who Code program to cities across the United States. “This is more than just a program,” said Saujani. “It’s a movement.”

For more information, contact press [at] girlswhocode [dot] com.