[CodeHers CLE]: Computer Science Education for Middle School Girls

I have always been fascinated by coding, and I’m lucky that at Laurel, I have always felt supported in these STEM spaces. However, at robotics tournaments and other CS events, I was often one of the only girls in the room, negatively impacting my confidence and ability to see myself as a computer scientist. Inspired by these experiences, I started [CodeHers CLE] to bring the all-girls spaces that have been so impactful for me to other girls across Cleveland. 

At our workshops, girls learn foundational programming concepts, build their own projects based on personal interests, work with female high school volunteers, and hear from female guest speakers. From a chatbot to provide mental health support to a website for a jewelry business, girls have created a wide variety of projects applying coding to their personal passions and interests. 

The all-girls nature of the workshops is also particularly impactful. Not only does it provide an outlet for girls’ creativity, support their critical thinking skills, and offer them a community of other girls with shared interests, but it also introduces them to a possible career path and gives them skills that will be useful no matter what they pursue in their futures. [CodeHers CLE] workshops allow girls to envision themselves as computer scientists, creating a supportive and collaborative foundation to encourage their interests in programming and technology. Watching girls debug a tricky piece of code, grasp a challenging concept for the first time, or proudly present the projects they have designed to their peers, I have seen the true impact of the work we are doing. Girls are building crucial relationships that will give them the support they need to continue in a male-dominated field when they eagerly help each other with their projects or talk with the volunteers not just about how to fix a line of code, but also about their love of Taylor Swift, their favorite TV shows, or even their plans for the future. Hearing girls ask whether they can keep working on their projects at home or whether they can make money doing coding has shown me the lifetime of opportunities early computer science education can open up, demonstrating just how important this work is.