Last year, a study discovered — not so surprisingly — that six year olds show more confidence with technology than those over the age of forty-five. While this means young people have the innate ability to adopt the latest technology with ease, it also gives hope for the over 1 million programming jobs that are predicted to be unfilled by the year 2020 — jobs Base 11 hopes to help fill through their workforce development program.
In addition to finding or creating the talent to fill these workforce gaps, organizations are working to change the perception of these roles and the stereotypes of the people that fill them. If you ever thought you weren’t the type of person that could land in a well-paying role coding the latest computer software or programming robots, these programs are here to show you you’re, well, wrong.
Girls Who Code
Girls Who Code is driven by a lofty goal — to provide computer science education to 1 million young women by 2020. Their seven week long Summer Immersion Program is just one way they plan on getting there, offering hands-on training to high school students in computing, programming, mobile phone development, robotics and more.
Find out how you can join a Girls Who Code Club near you.
Girl Develop It
Girls Develop It is a nonprofit organization looking to take the intimidation out of learning web and software development and increase the confidence of the women they help in the process. They offer affordable classes and events to get women excited and involved in the tech community.
Find events and offerings near you.
Black Girls Code
Driven by her own feeling of cultural isolation studying computer programming in college, Black Girls Code founder Kimberly Bryant wants to ensure that all girls of color are exposed to in-demand computer and technology skills at a young age. They offer a wide array of workshops like “Build a Game in a Day” and “Build a Webpage in a Day.”
Find an event or learn how you can get involved.
Girls Teaching Girls to Code
Mentorship is key to creating a more diverse STEM workforce, and that is precisely the premise of Girls Teaching Girls to Code. This program pairs Stanford women with Bay Area high school students to teach programing skills, tackle exciting projects, and form a strong mentor/mentee bond.
Do you know of an organization working to provide education and mentorship in the field of computer science? Leave us a comment!