Here is a chance for girls to improve their computing skills, in a program conceived by one of the country’s top science teachers.
From Morristown High School:
Morristown High School is hosting two Girls Who Code summer camps for girls in 6th-12th grades.
Both the middle school and high school groups will run from July 17th to July 28th, 2017, at Morristown High School, at 50 Early St. Girls from all areas are invited to register.
The two-week summer camp experience is the first of its kind for Girls Who Code, which until now has only run seven-week summer immersion programs. The camp is being offered in a shorter, two-week format for girls who are interested in learning about coding in a way that will fit into their summer plans.
Girls from 6th to 12th grade are invited to learn coding in a fun, safe environment where they are not the only girl in the room.
Morristown High School has a strong offering of girl-friendly science and technology initiatives, including a Girls in STEM club and a Girls Who Code club. It had an all-girls engineering class in 2013-14.
Mariel Kolker, the teacher behind these initiatives and a female engineer herself, says, “Our society quietly discourages girls from participating in the hard sciences, engineering and coding.
“We need to do everything we can to level the playing field in order to bring more girls into these fields.”
Computer programming is currently one of the most sought-after degrees after college graduation, and demand for graduates continues to grow.
Currently, women represent only 18 percent of the population of computer science college grads, down from 40 percent a few years ago.
“Clearly, this problem is not going to fix itself,” says Kolker.
Register here for the classes. The cost is $1200 for the two-week course, and scholarships are being made available.
