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Subscribe to RSS'Girls who Code' is a program that trains young women for jobs in so called STEM jobs-science, technology, engineering and math - fields where women continue to experience a gender gap. NBC's Janelle Richards reports.
By Janelle Richards, NBC News
NEW YORK -- School was out and summer had finally arrived, but instead of hanging out at the beach teenager Jocelyn Stevens was sitting in front of a computer, using a software program to design jewelry. With just a click of her mouse, Stevens created a ring and used a 3D printer to produce it.
Before taking part in the eight-week summer program Girls Who Code, 16-year-old Stevens said the only thing she knew about technology was how to play computer games.
She wanted to change that.
"I felt like this program would benefit me, and I felt like I would rather do something that would be benefit me, than not doing anything [this summer]," Stevens said.
Now, Stevens is familiar with mobile applications. Last week she worked with her team – three other girls in the program -- to create an app that shows parents where they can take their families around New York City.
"Somewhere in my future, not so far from now, I could see myself doing computer science," she said.
And that's exactly what Girls Who Code aims to do: develop a passion for technology among girls who have not had much exposure to the field.
Changing perceptions
The program was created by Reshma Saujani, a former deputy public advocate for New York City.
"I think that this world would look like a very different place if we had more female developers and coders and engineers and entrepreneurs," said Saujani. "Girls are so passionate about technology...it's simply not the case that they aren't interested and it's not the case that they're not good at it....it's just that there's a perception out there that they're not interested, that they're not as good as the boys and that's exactly what we're changing every single day."
Saujani ran for Congress in 2010 and was struck by the number of girls in a public housing project who were interested in technology but did not have the resources to pursue it.
"They had like one computer in the basement of a church," said Saujani. "And then I'd be on the Upper East Side at a private school where there was a robotics lab -- and you saw how technology can be a huge equalizer, but it can enhance poverty if we're not giving young girls and young boys equal access."
The inequalities Saujani witnessed motivated her to start Girls Who Code this year. The students in the program are diverse, representing 12 different countries.
In addition to teaching the students hands-on skills like programming and coding, Saujani and executive director Kristen Titus are also preparing them for a future career at a major technology company. They partnered with Google, Intel, AppNexus and Twitter, among others, to help shape their summer curriculum and asked the companies what skills future employees need to be successful in the technology field.
Those companies also help fund Girls Who Code, making it free of charge for the students. Eventually, they plan to offer internship opportunities.
"We've built out a robust curriculum that teaches the girls everything from robotics to web design to how to build a company, how to build a mobile app, what is a bank account, how do I get a loan, all of these hard and soft skills that we know are instrumental," said Kristen Titus, executive director of Girls Who Code.
Closing the gender gap in STEM jobs
Developing women's interest in science, technology, engineering and math (often referred to as STEM) is an important goal for Girls Who Code. The U.S. Department of Commerce reported women are underrepresented in STEM undergraduate degrees and jobs. In 2009, there were 2.5 million college-educated working women with STEM degrees, compared to 6.7 million men. And throughout the past decade, women have held less than 25 percent of STEM jobs even though they fill close to half of all jobs in the U.S. economy.
Similar programs are popping up around the country. In Washington, D.C., CodeNow and Youth Lab train high school girls and boys, too. The students learn how websites work and are paired with mentors throughout their learning process.
In San Francisco, Calif., Kimberly Bryant, an electrical engineer, started Black Girls Code in April 2011 after she attended several technology events in Silicon Valley and noticed the lack of women and minorities at the events.
“I was networking to start my own company,” said Bryant. “And then I ended up starting this nonprofit that directly introduces girls to technology and gets them in the pipeline.”
Black Girls Code offers classes for girls ages 6 to 20 on how to develop video games, build a website, and study robots. And this summer, the program is hosting one-day workshops for minority students in several cities including Chicago, Atlanta, New York and Las Vegas.
'I think I'm going to change the world someday'
Back in New York City, the students at Girls Who Code are already thinking about how they can give back to their communities.
Khady Samb, 16, moved to the Bronx from Senegal in March 2011.
"Being here is like, it was my dream, I didn't know anything about computers," said Samb. "We had them [in Senegal] but I didn't know a lot of things on it. Here, it's like I have anything I need and I learned something about computers that I never learned, it is very exciting."
Just a few weeks into the program, Samb says the skills she has learned may help her Senegalese community one day.
"I think I'm going to change the world someday," said Samb. "I'm going to go to my country and help them use the computer and I will do it for free and I think that will change the world. I have a lot of things to think about."
To learn more about these programs, visit the websites below:
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"The U.S. Department of Commerce reported women are underrepresented in STEM undergraduate degrees and jobs. In 2009, there were 2.5 million college-educated working women with STEM degrees, compared to 6.7 million men. And throughout the past decade, women have held less than 25 percent of STEM jobs even though they fill close to half of all jobs in the U.S. economy."
Who decides if women are underrepresented? Are all careers supposed to reflect the gender and racial make up of the general population?
If so, then where is the push for male dental hygienists?
Given full access to any field of study, women shun STEM degrees. The only way to get more women into STEM is to initiate a massive program of discrimination against men.
You just took the words out of my mouth. I totally agree that they SHOULD be able to get into the field and have the option IF and only if they have the right skill set and capabilities.
what they are doing is in fact FORCING people to do what they think they should do in order to make the field balanced (as if it could help).
why there are no movements to inspire women to become fire fighters,construction workers or soldiers?
Give people the option, let them choose. Don't push them to do anything they are not naturaly leaning forward to. This is Sexist. and that woman is racist.
When I read the headline, I honestly thought they were talking about girls flat-lining...
yeah but NEVER forget that it was MEN that got us here.
It's a girl's thing to break, which they will, I assure you.
I know - vagina good, penis BAaaad.
pound it.
awesome showpiece, we need more diversity as seen from the comments above.
Computer science has nothing to do with creating cute jewlery apps. Even at the age of 12 , boys are writing math, robotics or 3D code obsessively. If so much more effort is required to encourage girls, why not put a tad more effort into encouraging more boys?
There are too many girl interns that don't do well in computer internships, and they received their opportunity through sexual diversity programs that discriminate heavily against men. Why is an internship or job more important to a woman than a man ? In high tech, very few of these female interns are hired in full-time positions, and the vast majority of female interns converted to full-time positions quit after 1-2 years, even in jobs at premiere companies. The fundamental problems are :
1) they don't want to work more night-time and weekend hours
2) they don't want to work in isolation
3) they aren't creative enough to be competitive with the men
The real problem is that these women need to be paid $1M to do what a man will do for $50k. That's market efficiency, not sexual discrimination.
A sexist training program, or better yet, a racist sexist training program. The eugenic balance isn't quite right; we need to salt and pepper some professions with women and blacks. Then society will be as it should!
I am currently working towards my computer science degree and there are a few women in each class. Some seem to understand it very well and are obviously doing better than I am.
My hats off!
I think Girls Who Code is a great idea and has been needed for a long time. I commend these girls and the women who have developed this program and are offering it.
It is unfortunate that the number of girls going into STEM has not increased much over the years. It is not that girls cannot handle h math. Engineers, scientists, and mathematicians are labelled as “nerds” and “geeks,” and have been the the brunt of many disparaging jokes and references for many years. People often hear and see references to pocket protectors, big, thick, dark-rimmed glasses, and the like. The image of being unfashionably attired, working alone in a lab, and being socially inept seem to be the norm for scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. The majority of people in those fields do not dress or behave differently than anyone else. We have just been stereotyped that way.
Teenagers, especially girls, have enough self-image issues that adding the stereotypical nerd/geek image does not help. I have talked with girls who think that if they go into a technical field, they will not be able to dress nicely, wear makeup, etc. because that is the image they have seen in the media and what their friends and family have told them. That could not be farther from the truth!
If we look beyond just girls in STEM, we do not have enough boys going into those fields, either. When I have talked with teenagers about what they want to do, many of them say they do not want to go into technical fields, even though they like them and are are good at it, because it will cut into their free time in college, it's too much work, or some other lame excuse. That is a problem.
Just for the record, I am not a 20-something just out of engineering school. Instead, I graduated college with a bachelor of science in Chemistry in the mid-1970s and then earned a master of science in Systems Science (computer modelling and simulation). I worked as a progammer and systems administrator for over 23 years then decided to get my masters in teaching and now teach high school science. Until I went into teaching, most of my professional co-workers have been men.
Technical computer field has few barriers to entry. The majority of those in the field are men who are detailed oriented, enjoy working with new technology, prefers less social contact and will patiently work long hours to achieve difficult goals under less than ideal conditions. Perhaps if more women enter the field perhaps they will bring a different archetypes who will be successful. If people want more girls to enter I would prefer that they provide additional resources to those interested rather than attempt to social engineer by lowering the standards for acceptable technical work.
Women are drastically underrepresented in the software development community. We all know the numbers, but it wasn't always this way
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I'm sharing this info here because LA offers a $500 discount to females. The goal is to re-balance the scales. Interested? Apply here or learn more at www.launchacademy.co or launchacademy_
The Winter 2013 Cohort kicks off 2/1/13.