Girls Who Code

Tonight is the night! Girls Who Code class of 2012 will have their graduation ceremony at Google...

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 08:14:54 -0400

Tonight is the night!

Girls Who Code class of 2012 will have their graduation ceremony at Google and demonstrate their final projects…we couldn’t be more excited for them or to see their apps!

"A woman is 21% less likely to own a mobile phone than a man in developing countries."

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:40:00 -0400

“A woman is 21% less likely to own a mobile phone than a man in developing countries.”

- Ann Mei Chang

Congrats to our Executive Director Kristen Titus on being named...

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 10:02:00 -0400

Congrats to our Executive Director Kristen Titus on being named one of Forbes 100 Women Changing the World!

Congrats to our founder Reshma Saujani on being named one of...

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 09:36:10 -0400

Congrats to our founder Reshma Saujani on being named one of Forbes 100 Women Changing the World!

another reason we need girls who code

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:00:00 -0400

Although women fill close to half of all jobs in the U.S. economy, they hold less than 25 percent of STEM jobs. This has been the case throughout the past decade, even as college-educated women have increased their share of the overall workforce.

"Women with jobs in science, technology, engineering and math earned 33% more than comparable women..."

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:00:50 -0400

“Women with jobs in science, technology, engineering and math earned 33% more than comparable women in non-STEM jobs.”

- http://www.esa.doc.gov/Reports/women-stem-gender-gap-innovation

This is us jumping for joy on Friday! This week we are working...

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 09:41:09 -0400

This is us jumping for joy on Friday!

This week we are working on our final projects—so exciting!

future faces of tech

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:35:20 -0400

future faces of tech

Photo

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:33:00 -0400

Photo

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:33:00 -0400

"74% of girls are interested in STEM"

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 13:49:02 -0400

“74% of girls are interested in STEM”

- Girl Scout Research Institute

We were featured on NBC Nightly News tonight!

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 21:07:02 -0400

We were featured on NBC Nightly News tonight!

We have started building mobile apps! A Magic 8 ball game is...

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 09:31:00 -0400

We have started building mobile apps! A Magic 8 ball game is just the beginning—many more to come in our future.

"By 2018, there will be 1.4 million computer science-related job openings, yet U.S. universities are..."

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:56:00 -0400

“By 2018, there will be 1.4 million computer science-related job openings, yet U.S. universities are expected to produce enough computer science graduates to fill just 29% of these jobs. And while 57% of bachelor’s degrees are obtained by women, less than 14% of computer science degrees are awarded to women.”

"In a room of 25 engineers, only 3 will be women."

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 13:43:24 -0400

“In a room of 25 engineers, only 3 will be women.”

- http://www.engineeringdegree.net/girls-in-stem/

Field Trips - Week Three

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 13:39:00 -0400

Last week we took three field trips! It’s so inspiring to meet women working in technology and see what opportunities exist for Girls Who Code.

Here’s us making our mark at Facebook on Monday.

On Tuesday, we went to Gilt Groupe. This is us listening to a talk from our dynamic board member Alexis Maybank on her start-up days. We also got to meet with a group of female engineers there.

Then on Friday we went to Conde Nast!

Photo

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:17:46 -0400

Intro to Scratch

We Need Your Books!

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:17:00 -0400

The 2012 inaugural Girls Who Code summer program is here! This morning 20 enthusiastic girls arrived to the welcoming doors and bright orange walls of AppNexus in midtown Manhattan. And while some conference rooms at AppNexus are named after monsters, others are superheros and scientists, and this summer Sir Issac Newton has generously opened his doors to house a group of ravenous female coders even the Hulk can’t hold back.

These 20 girls not only have an unquenchable desire to learn, but are also incredibly diverse and unique, representing over 12 different ethnicities, and hailing from all five boroughs and even northern New Jersey. We have aspiring engineers, computer programmers, doctors, forensic scientist, animators, architects, teachers and even future business women that want to travel the world. These girls all strive to better their community, and the world around them; and many, at age 15 are striving to figure out what they can do.

Independent-minded and strong willed, these girls are hungry to learn more in every way that they can. We have many girls who have recently immigrated to the U.S from countries such as Senegal, Yemen, and Bangladesh. Some already know three languages and are now braving a few more — programming languages.

And while these 20 girls come from distinctly different backgrounds and cultures there are a few traits that they do share. Each of their teacher references praises these girls for their hard work and commitment, their eagerness to learn and to understand, and many a time, their love for reading. And in reading their applications we came across countless numbers of applicants saying they spent their last summer at the library. As one teacher writes about her Girls Who Code student; ”Voracious doesn’t begin to describe her reading habits”.

In response, Girls Who Code has decided to put together a bookshelf. Many of our book-loving coders are traveling from the far ends of the Bronx, Staten Island, and Brooklyn, where a 1.5 hour commute is more than ordinary. We want to provide them with some classic computer science/ technology reads that will not only engage but also inspire and introduce them to different ideas in STEM. We welcome any donations, with particular interest to the following books, and any suggestions to other good reads, especially those starting with Chapter 0.

Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing, Alan Fisher and Jane Margolis
Stuck in the Shallow End: Education, Race, and Computing, Jane Margolis
By Invitation Only: How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way Millions Shop, Alexis Maybank
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, Gayle Lemmon
Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness After the Digital Explosion, Hal Abelson, Ken Ledeen, Harry Lewis

Thank you!

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 10:39:00 -0400

It’s been a whirlwind week following last week’s launch announcement, and we are absolutely thrilled and forever grateful for the outpouring of support.

In just 48 hours, we saw tweets from tens of thousands of people like you across the globe. Stories appeared in 40+ outlets, from the New York Times and WSJ to FastCompany and Time. Read highlights here. There’s nothing like coming into the office after a late night launch to find that we were trending in Mexico and Korea.

We’ve seen hundreds of emails from those of you across the country, and in countries from Peru to Italy to Australia, all eager to bring Girls Who Code to your communities.

So stay tuned. We’ve got much to come. In the meantime, a BIG thank you from us to you! <3

Announcing Girls Who Code

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 09:25:00 -0400

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.