Thinking Ahead: How Do We Get More Girls In Tech?

This post is part of NYCEDC's Thinking Ahead series, which features editorials from New York City leaders and influencers across key sectors and neighborhoods to foster dialogue around the issues impacting our city.Women are vital to New York City's economy. Yet while they make up more than half of our workforce, they are underrepresented in the field of computer science. Enter Girls Who Code, a national non-profit whose goal is to provide computer science education and exposure to one million young women by 2020. Together with leading educators, engineers, and entrepreneurs, Girls Who Code has developed a new model for computer science education, pairing intensive instruction in robotics, web design, and mobile development with high-touch mentorship led by the industry's top female developers and entrepreneurs.Its Summer Immersion Program, which kicks off on June 8 in 9 cities, provides seven weeks of intensive instruction in robotics, web design, and mobile development to female high school sophomores and juniors for free. No prior coding experience is necessary. Launched in 2012 with one program in New York City, the Summer Immersion Program is tripling its reach this year. In its largest-ever expansion from 19 programs to 57, this year's program will empower 1200 girls to build careers in the fast-growing technology sector.

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