Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code
Girls Who Code · Public domain · source
Name	Girls Who Code
Formation	2012
Founder	Reshma Saujani
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	New York City
Region served	United States, International

Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 to increase the number of women in computing fields. It provides after-school clubs, summer immersion programs, and community initiatives aimed at closing the gender gap in technology sectors. The organization has collaborated with corporations, universities, and philanthropic foundations to expand coding education for girls and gender-diverse youth.

History

Girls Who Code was established in 2012 by Reshma Saujani following her 2010 campaign for the United States House of Representatives. Early activities included summer programs modeled after initiatives at institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Harvard University. The organization grew alongside contemporaries like Black Girls CODE, Code.org, and Django Girls, and expanded during the 2010s alongside public discussions involving figures such as Sheryl Sandberg, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, and Bill Gates. Major milestones included national recognition at events like the White House convenings and participation in conferences alongside leaders from Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Apple Inc..

Programs and Initiatives

Programs include after-school Clubs influenced by curricula from organizations like Khan Academy and pedagogical approaches seen at Carnegie Mellon University and University of California, Berkeley. The Summer Immersion Program partners with companies such as Amazon (company), IBM, Intel, Accenture, and Twitter to offer internships and mentorships. Outreach initiatives have appeared at events like Grace Hopper Celebration, SXSW, and CES (conference), and have integrated tools and platforms from GitHub, Codecademy, Scratch (programming language), and Arduino. Scholarship and fellowship offerings have been compared with awards from foundations such as the Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Knight Foundation.

Organizational Structure and Funding

The organization operates under nonprofit governance models similar to institutions like Teach For America and The Wikimedia Foundation, with a board featuring leaders from Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Venture for America, and major technology firms. Funding streams include corporate sponsorship from Salesforce, Bloomberg LP, Cisco Systems, and philanthropic support from donors connected to The Rockefeller Foundation and The Clinton Foundation. Staffing and volunteer models have drawn on networks including alumni from Princeton University, Columbia University, Yale University, and New York University. Financial reporting practices align with standards used by nonprofits that file with the Internal Revenue Service and interact with grantmakers such as USAID and regional partners in cities like San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, and London.

Impact and Outcomes

Reported outcomes cite thousands of participants who have completed Clubs and immersion experiences, with alumni pursuing roles at tech employers including Google LLC, Meta Platforms, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, LinkedIn, and startups incubated at Y Combinator. Evaluations and metrics have been discussed alongside research from institutions such as National Science Foundation, American Association of University Women, and Pew Research Center. Public impact narratives have been amplified by media outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, TechCrunch, and Wired (magazine), and featured success stories of alumni pursuing studies at universities including MIT, Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Partnerships and Advocacy

Girls Who Code has established partnerships with corporate partners including Oracle Corporation, SAP SE, Adobe Systems, and Dropbox (service), and collaborated with nonprofit networks like United Way, YMCA, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Advocacy efforts have intersected with policy discussions involving lawmakers such as members of the United States Congress and advocacy groups like Code for America and Data & Society Research Institute. Campaigns and public-facing initiatives have been launched during observances like International Women's Day and conferences including The Aspen Ideas Festival.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques have come from commentators in outlets such as The Atlantic, New Yorker, and The Guardian regarding effectiveness, diversity of socioeconomic reach, and alignment with corporate sponsors like Accenture and McKinsey & Company. Debates referenced research from National Bureau of Economic Research, Brookings Institution, and Harvard Business School about gender gaps in STEM employment and whether extracurricular models sufficiently address structural barriers. Additional controversies have concerned measurement of long-term outcomes and comparisons with grassroots efforts led by organizations such as Girls Inc. and Latinas in Tech.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States Category:Women in computing