Square and Girls Who Code

Written by vanessa slavich.

From June to August, we are hosting 20 local high school students through Girls Who Code’s Summer Immersion Program. Girls Who Code is a national non-profit organization that aims to inspire, educate, and equip young women for futures in the computing-related fields.

We are thrilled to partner with Girls Who Code, as we share the same vision of closing the gender gap in technology. Over the past two years, nearly 50 young women have participated in our own initiative, Code Camp. Code Camp uses leadership sessions and coding workshops to bring together top women engineering students and build a strong community around women in technology.

Our third College Code Camp begins on August 13, and by also participating in the Summer Immersion Program, we can empower more women to pursue computer science. Throughout the 7 week program, 20 local high school students will come to Square for 250+ hours of instruction in multiple areas of engineering. The curriculum pairs intensive instruction in robotics, web design, and mobile development, with mentorship from developers and entrepreneurs. The young women will also meet with our Engineering Lead Alyssa Henry, who will speak with the students about her engineering journey.

Women make up less than 25% of the computer workforce. After participating in Girls Who Code, 99% of the young women consider pursuing a career in tech. By taking action, we can improve the ratio of women in technical positions.

Read more on Girls Who Code’s Summer Immersion Program: girlswhocode.com/2014launch vanessa slavich - Profile Diversity & Triathlonsmedium.com