Girls Who Code has one mission: To create gender parity in the computer science and technology workforce. Since our founding in 2012, Girls Who Code has developed a new model of computer science education designed to inspire, educate, and equip girls with the skills to succeed in both academic and professional careers in technology.
At a time when the public and private sectors are struggling to create jobs, the technology sector is struggling to fill innumerable open positions. And while youth are struggling to meet the demands of today's job market, it is women that are almost exclusively left behind. Today, just 0.3% of high school girls express interest in studying computer science, and only 0.8% of women graduating from college receive a degree in computer science.
Surveys of the field and a rigorous assessment of work to date demonstrate that education and exposure are the two components necessary to ensure young women are encouraged to pursue and prepared for success in the technology sector. Girls Who Code's programs are an innovative approach to computer science education that pair intensive instruction in robotics, web design, and mobile development with high-touch mentorship and exposure led by the industry's top female engineers and entrepreneurs.
Since 2013, the Clubs Program has grown from 40 to 518 Clubs taking place in schools, libraries, universities, community centers across 43 states. In total, Clubs has taught technical computing and soft skills to more than 10,000 girls. Over 85% of Clubs students feel confident in their coding skills and 88% have knowledge of the types of pathways and careers CS offers. By the end of 2016, our scalable and sustainable model will reach 1500 Clubs teaching over 22,000 students across all 50 state.
