Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organization aimed at encouraging girls to enter the field of computer science, is coming to SHS in December. Student ambassadors and juniors Isabel Adamus and Cristalle Choi want the club to serve as a safe and supportive community for girls interested in learning how to code.

Girls Who Code was established primarily because of the gender gap in the field of technology and computer science. A study conducted in 2014 showed that only 18 percent of the computer science majors were women and estimates that women will only comprise of 20 percent of computing jobs by 2025.

Girls Who Code is intended to decrease the disparity between the amount of men and women in the computer science field by exposing coding to girls across the U.S.

“Computer science is the fastest growing field and not enough girls are entering this field. This is primarily because societal gender roles deem that computer science is exclusively for boys. More girls need to enter the computer science field to offer the tech realm innovative ideas and fresh insights,” said Choi. 

Prior coding experience is not a requisite and since the club is relying on donations, there is no fee to join. Members will receive the t-shirts and will have the opportunity to go on all-expenses-paid field trips. In addition, a member does not need to be solely interested in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) career, for coding is applicable in all careers ranging from fashion design to medicine.

“[Girls Who Code is] a club that is going to actually teach you valuable skills that you can utilize in the competitive workforce,” said Adamus.

The club will have members work on a “Computer Science Impact Project” which focuses on a common issue relevant to the community and to the club. This project will allow members to learn the Core4 concepts of variables, loops, conditionals, and functions.

The curriculum will integrate coding activities, such as “Fashion in Scratch,” “Storytelling to Codesters,” “Game Development,” “Digital Art,” and “Music in Earsketch,” that will help members gain the Core4 skills.  

Adamus and Choi, the student ambassadors, will be in charge of organizing dates and activities, encouraging members as a support system, and networking and contacting tech companies to arrange events and field trips. Dr. Pamela Wisniewski, the assistant professor of computer science at the University of Central Florida, is already scheduled to come to a meeting to serve as a motivational figure for members on Jan. 27.

Facilitator Kevin Strileckis will help members who have questions or need help when working on the online curriculum.

Joining Girls Who Code provides a number of benefits and conveniences for members. Exclusive opportunities, such as an early start to learning coding, fun activities, and being recognized by top companies, will be put forth for members. An example is the #HireMe campaign. This campaign offers members internships and jobs to over 60 high-tech companies. The club is also favorable for girls who are interested in coding but have full schedules and can’t take a computer science class.

“It’s a great way of getting started into computer science, especially if you don’t have space in your schedule,” said Mr. Strileckis. “I find a lot of IB kids and Health Academy kids that run out of space [for my class].”

In order to join, potential members should attend an informational meeting on Dec. 5 and will register online. Only a select number of girls will be chosen as resources are limited.