Black, Latina, and Native American women are grossly underrepresented in the technical arts – fields like filmmaking, producing, computer programming, video game design, and more. Black Girls CODE advocates for women of color in technology, instituting workshops and summer programs to teach young girls, ages 7-17, to create websites, mobile apps, and other computer-driven products.
With their Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, Black Girls CODE is raising $100,000 dollars to educate 2,000 girls of color in computer programming workshops in 10 new cities nationwide this summer.
The funds raised will provide key program resource needs such as laptops for students who need loaners to take programming classes, student scholarships and instructor stipends to support the organization’s rapid growth and expansion.
Contributions will also go towards seed funding for the development of 8 Black Girls CODE chapters in current markets which are already serving students throughout the year.
Click here to support the Black Girls CODE campaign!
The San Francisco-based nonprofit, Black Girls CODE, provides workshops and classes which introduce girls to computer programming, robotics, mobile app development, game design, and other technology topics in communities across the nation. The organization’s mission is to introduce girls of color (African-American, Latina and Native American) ages 7-17 to computer programming and digital technology to enable them to become the technology creators and leaders of tomorrow.
Women currently make up half the college-educated workforce in the United States, but hold less than a quarter of professional or managerial roles in computer science, mathematics, engineering, and the life and physical sciences. In fact women’s attainment of bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science has steadily decreased from a high of 27% of degrees awarded in 1984 to less than 18% of degree holders today. Black Girls Code is determined to “change the equation” by introducing girls from underrepresented communities to technology at a young age and to feed the STEM pipeline.
Black Girls CODE is a global movement. Founded in 2011, the San Francisco based nonprofit introduces young girls of color, ages 7-17, to computer programming, mobile app development, robotics and other STEM fields. In 2012 the nonprofit launched in 10 cities nationwide and expanded to South Africa. Voted as “2012 Most Innovative Nonprofit” by Bank of the West and “Top Social Enterprise Improving the Lives of Women and Girls” by Women Deliver in 2013, the nonprofit continues to expand and empower hundreds of girls worldwide.
Technology is no doubt the future and coding has everything to do with it. Kudos!
I hope this does not end up only being a one week program alone – this must continue through their young lives.