It is no secret that technology is becoming increasingly embedded in society and necessary for innovation. However, only 50% of the population is getting the chance to be involved. Women make up more than half of the US workforce, but they make up less than 25% of jobs in technology. This shocking statistic exists for a variety of reasons. Lack of exposure to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) in school, limited access to computers or Internet, and discrimination in the workplace or university are a few of these. Appalled by the gender gap in technology, I joined with a few other girls last year to tackle another fundamental problem that contributes to the gap: a lack of opportunities to engage in computer science in school.
Together, we founded GirlsCode, the first club at my high school dedicated to women in computer science. We host weekly meetings where members learn to code, hold fundraisers that support girls in STEM, and plan events such as our recent Code-a-Thon that involve our entire community. We have over 150 members in our club, and we’re proud to say that the majority of them are female.
Our first semester at HPHS saw tremendous success. We are looking forward to more code, empowerment, and excitement for the rest of the year and beyond. Here are some highlights from 2018:
