Throughout the years, resources have said that in 1995, woman made up 37% of computer scientists.  There has been a drastic decrease though, dropping that number to to 24%. In 2012, Reshma Saujani had created a program called “Girls Who Code.” Girls Who Code is a national non-profit organization dedicated to narrowing the technological gender gap. Their programs teach, train, and empower girls to develop the computer skills they’ll need to succeed in the twenty-first century and in the future. To date, over 450,000 girls from around the world have been served by Girls Who Code Clubs, a virtual Summer Immersion Program, and Code from Home programs. These are all working to increase the number of girls interested in computer science, and their programming for college and workforce-aged young women is helping to keep them in the field. 

The global pandemic has highlighted and intensified inequities in their educational system and workforce, making it even more important for Girls Who Code to fill the void and represent girls in the most vulnerable communities. There was, however, a silver lining. While difficult, the move to remote learning has empowered Girls Who Code to serve more students by removing geographical barriers and pushing their organization to develop new virtual programs to meet the needs of their community. They remain committed to assist girls in the most vulnerable societies, narrowing the gender gap in technology, and emerging stronger from this pandemic. 

Lucky to say, Lakes High School had opened up a “Girls Who Code” club to create amazing opportunities for girls. In the battle for women’s equality, Girls Who Code has always been a leader. They’re changing culture, not just teaching girls to code. They’re changing a culture that says “women and girls aren’t as smart, valuable, or deserving as men, and don’t belong in tech.” Their campaigns and brand collaborations help to change people’s minds about the importance of women in technology. Girls Who Code Club and TSA meets every TUESDAY @2:30pm and their teams code is “gjm8pzz” For more information, please contact Ms. Ulen @[email protected]