Coding gives people the power to solve tomorrow’s problems, yet less than 25% of coders are female. This needs to change! There are currently over 34,000 software and computing job openings here in Virginia. Our girls need more exposure and resources to learn to code and to take advantage of this opportunity.

Enter Girls Who Code. Rapidly approaching its goal to reach over 50,000 girls by the end of this academic school year, Girls Who Code teaches coding through free clubs, free summer programs, and paid on-campus classes.

According to their site, 91% of open software and computing jobs are outside Silicon Valley, of which the opportunity for girls is greatly outnumbered. They are working urgently to close the gap by empowering and inspiring girls who will soon start solving some of our country’s toughest problems.

With corporate funding from multiple large corporations such as Walmart, IBM, Dell, and General Motors just to name a few, Girls Who Code appears to be geared to scale. With increasing demand, additional offerings are being created, such as campus, to expand the ability to reach more girls.

Three Channels through Girls Who Code

1. Clubs: FREE | Meet in schools, libraries, and community centers | For grades 6-12
2. Campus: Fee varies (Some scholarships) | Offered at various schools and universities | For grades 6-12
3. Summer immersion: FREE | Leading tech company locations for 10^th and 11^th grade girls

For more information, visit their website or visit their campus booth at the upcoming Maker Faire NOVA on March 18^th, 2018.