'Good to Code' Free Coding Workshops for Girls

Photo Credit: Christian Arevalo

SapientRazorfish is teaming up with CodeArt, a Miami-based nonprofit focused on computer science education for girls, on “Good to Code,” a series of coding workshops aimed at sparking girls’ interest in computer science through digital art. The workshops will be held at SapientRazorfish’s Coconut Grove office and will include guest lectures from SapientRazorfish thought leaders.

Despite the growing number of high-paying technical jobs, women make up only 18 percent of computer science undergraduates in the United States. This is down from 37 percent in 1984. This decline is partly due to the rise in popularity of gaming over the past 30 years. Boys, on average, start coding at an earlier age than girls, often because of their interest in computer gaming. When girls wait until high school or college to take their first computer science class, they are less likely to stick with it because they feel they are behind their male peers.

To offset this, they use art to encourage girls to get into coding at an early age. “Much like computer games are often an onramp to coding for boys, CodeArt uses art as an onramp to coding for girls,” said Amy Austin Renshaw, Executive Director of CodeArt. “Our workshops teach students how to write computer programs that generate different types of art.” 

The partnership between CodeArt and SapientRazorfish - a company that combines creativity and technology to positively impact the world - is a natural fit. By combining forces, they will give participating girls an introduction to coding through their curriculum and a better understanding of technical careers through guest lectures. “It is important to encourage more young women to study computer science. We get better results when we have diversity of voice and perspective on our technical teams,” said Eduardo Legorburu, Global Production Services Lead at SapientRazorfish.

The workshop series is free and open to girls in grades 4-8, who either live in or attend school in Coconut Grove. The workshop series consists of five monthly Sunday workshops that build on each other, with the fifth session being a showcase event for family and friends. No prior coding experience is required, but accepted participants must attend all five sessions. 

CodeArt instructor Anna Mistele commented, “This is an amazing opportunity. CodeArt inspires such incredible growth in everyone it touches. I’ve watched tentative students become skilled and confident as they progress through the workshops, and I’ve watched complete beginners learn in just one day to develop their own creative programs.” Middle school student Jenna Hart added, “At CodeArt [workshops], I’ve learned to refine my current coding skills, but I’ve also learned some exciting new coding skills, especially in animation!”

Workshops take place from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm on September 24, October 15, November 12, December 10, and January 7, 2018 at SapientRazorfish at 2911 Grand Avenue.

Lunch is included. Applications are being accepted online at https://code-art.com/SR_CodeGirl. The deadline for applying is Monday, August 28. Applicants will be notified if they have been accepted by Friday, September 8.