University to Host Girls Who Code Program this Summer
The University of Scranton will host a Girls Who Code summer day camp July 24 through Aug. 4 on campus open to area high school girls interested in computer science. Girls Who Code is a national initiative that encourages more young women to pursue careers in the field of computer science. Scranton is among just a dozen colleges in the nation who will host a Girls Who Code camp this summer.
In an effort to encourage more young women to pursue careers in the field of computer science, The University of Scranton will be among a handful of campuses in the nation to host a Girls Who Code camp this summer. The two-week program, scheduled weekdays July 24 through Aug. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Scranton, is open to girls in high school interested in computer science.
Girls Who Code is a nationwide initiative that works to inspire, educate and equip girls with the computing skills to succeed in the 21st century workplace. At each Girls Who Code summer camp, participants have the chance to learn computer science fundamentals, be exposed to tech jobs, and be initiated into a network of tens of thousands of girls who code throughout the U.S.
Through the high school summer day camp, which focuses on the introduction to web development, participants collaborate on projects designed to teach them the “GWC Core4” programming concepts: loops, variables, conditionals and functions. In addition, they learn about different female role models in computing.
Girls Who Code was founded with the goal of achieving gender parity in the computing and technology sectors. While the demand for computing skills in the American workplace is growing at a rate three times the national average, the number of women working in computer science has decreased from 37 percent in 1995 to 24 percent today. Unless properly addressed, that number will eventually drop to 22 percent by 2025, and will prove hugely challenging for the U.S. economy’s global competitiveness.
However, via targeted approaches like Girls Who Code, that trend can be upended if the U.S. can triple the number of women in computing from 1.2 million today to 3.9 million by 2025. That would bring the number of women in computer science from 24 to 39 percent.
The University of Scranton currently hosts a Girls Who Code club that meets on campus during the academic year. The club has about 50 members.
Each Girls Who Code summer camp program is open to 25 students. All participants must be: a high school (grades 9-12) female student; a U.S. resident; committed to attending the entire two-week program; and able to commute to and from the campus each day. The day camps run from Monday through Friday at selected universities. Registration is $2,000, and includes lunch. Need-based scholarships will be available to those who qualify.
To register for the University’s Girls Who Code camp, or for more information on the program, visit girlswhocode.com, or contact Benjamin Bishop, Ph.D., professor of computing sciences at The University of Scranton at 570-941-7774. or benjamin.bishop@scranton.edu.
