Programmers Betty Jean Jennings (left) and Fran Bilas (right) operate ENIAC’s main control panel at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering.
In December 2015, the UN named today International Day of Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). You don’t need a computer science degree to celebrate the STEM women, in fact, you can join them with help from these 9 organizations teaching women and girls coding and web development.
1. Ada Dev Academy
Ada Developers Academy is a year-long intensive training program for women transitioning into software development located in Seattle, Washington. The instruction is a 7-month in person classroom, followed by 5-month placement at a tech company. The best part? Ada is tuition-free and is supported by the tech community, public funding, and individual donors.
2. Black Girls Code
Black Girls CODE is devoted to showing the world that black girls can code, and do so much more. By reaching out to the community through workshops and after school programs, Black Girls CODE introduces computer coding lessons to young girls, ages 7-17, from underrepresented communities in programming languages such as Scratch or Ruby on Rails. Black Girls CODE has set out to prove to the world that girls of every color have the skills to become the programmers of tomorrow. By promoting classes and programs Black Girls CODE hope to grow the number of women of color working in technology and give underprivileged girls a chance to become the masters of their technological worlds.
3. Codecademy
Codecademy is an online education company offering interactive courses in programming languages from HTML to Python. They offer resources like articles and forums if you get stuck on a problem. The classes are free, which is what draws the millions of enrolled students!
4. General Assembly: Women On The Rise
General Assembly’s program Women On The Rise is offering four women a full-expense paid trip to San Francisco in September for a one-week immersion course in tech. They offer online and in-person classes nationwide, and when you return you will have course credits to use and explore the world of web development.
5. Girl Develop It
Girl Develop It is a nonprofit organization that exists to provide affordable and judgment-free opportunities for women interested in learning web and software development. Through in-person classes and community support, Girl Develop It helps women of diverse backgrounds achieve their technology goals and build confidence in their careers and their every day lives.
6. Girls Who Code
Girls Who Code programs work to inspire, educate, and equip girls with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities. The application for the Girls Who Code Summer Immerision Program. It is a 7-week computer science course that embeds classrooms in technology companies and universities. Students learn the fundamentals of computer science – from robotics to how to build a webpage – while gaining exposure to the tech industry and mentorship from women working in technology.
7. Mothercoders
MotherCoders helps women with children get on a career development track toward a technical role that leverages their unique skills, experiences, and passions. Whether it’s going back school to earn a degree or certificate, diving deeper into a specific programming language through bootcamps, workshops, or online classes, seeking an apprenticeship for further skill development, or starting a new business, Mothercoders gives women the knowledge and confidence to take the next step toward a new career in technology.
8. Women’s Coding Collective
The WCC is a web development community with a mission to narrow the gender gap in technology. WCC cultivates supportive, no-stupid-questions environments where women can learn, build, and code together. Whether you’re a seasoned coder or a newbie dabbler, join WCC to get feedback, share resources, solve problems, or take one of our collaborative courses.
9. Women Who CodeWomen Who Code (WWCode) is a U.S. based non-profit dedicated to inspiring women to excel in technology careers. WWCode connect amazing women with other like minded amazing women around the globe who unite under one simple notion – the world of technology is much better with women in it.
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Header photo from U.S. Army photo from the archives of the ARL Technical Library
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