Why Code Girls?

Code Girls is motivated by these local and global critical issues:

The lack of an empowering education community for underserved youth in downtown Wilmington. YSA serves students in our downtown Wilmington community, most of whom attend Title 1 schools. Minority enrollment makes up the largest percentage of the student body at these schools and is higher than the North Carolina state average of 51%. According to NC Report Card, most of these schools are also among the top 1% of North Carolina schools with the largest percentage of students receiving free lunch. This high concentration of economically disadvantaged students in Wilmington’s diverse economic and ethnic groups contributes to a segregation mindset and inequality gaps within the classroom. As a result, opportunities for these students to engage in specialized learning experiences beyond the classroom are limited. YSA targets underserved youth and girls who would not typically be exposed to real world scientific experiences. We can work to combat these inequities by providing career-building opportunities such as Code Girls. Through interactive educational experiences that go beyond the classroom, we can better reach minority and economically disadvantaged students in our local community, increase girls’ participation in computer science and STEM learning, and work to empower future generations to pursue challenging and rewarding careers in these important fields.

The gender disparity between men and women in computer science. While the number of women in science and engineering occupations or with degrees in these fields has doubled over the last 20 years, the gap between men and women has barely narrowed. A 2018 Science and Engineering Outlook report by the National Science Foundation indicated that women accounted for only 28% of the labor force in these fields and only 24% of computer and information scientists. In order to narrow the gender divide in computer science and STEM fields, we must work to increase girls’ interest and participation in these fields beginning in early childhood education. ComputerScience.org reported that though two-thirds of elementary-aged students express an interest in science, the percentage of girls falls dramatically as they enter middle school. Less emphasis is placed on developing computer science skills in girls than in boys in secondary school. Additionally, the lack of female role models in a field dominated by male leaders further contributes to this gender disparity. The need to increase and sustain young girls’ interest in computer science during these crucial developmental stages is critical. The need to combat gender biases in STEM by providing equitable opportunities in an encouraging environment for girls. The gender disparity in STEM remains a critical issue on both local and global scales, and research shows a direct link between gender bias and the gaps within these fields.

By providing opportunities for young girls to engage in computer science and STEM learning in an empowering environment at an appropriate developmental age, we can take important steps to help sustain girls’ interest in computer science and STEM, mitigate existing gender gaps, and diversify our future workforce.