MIAMI — (Jan. 29, 2014) — Girls Who Code, a national nonprofit working to inspire, educate and equip young women with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities, will expand its groundbreaking Summer Immersion Program to Miami this year, with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
“Empowering young women with computer science education changes the trajectory not just of individual girls, but of entire communities,” said Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code. “We are thrilled to be launching in a city as vibrant as Miami, and look forward to building the pipeline of female engineers and entrepreneurs.”
Girls Who Code’s 2014 Summer Immersion Program will kick off this June and run for 7 weeks, Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm. The two Miami-based programs will reach a total of 40 rising high school juniors and seniors who demonstrate a passion for technology, regardless of prior coding experience.
Applications are open from Monday, February 3 to Thursday, February 27 on the Girls Who Code website at www.girlswhocode.com/apply.
Launched in New York City in 2012, Girls Who Code is an innovative approach to computer science education that pairs intensive instruction in computing concepts, programming fundamentals, mobile phone development, and robotics with engagement opportunities led by the industry’s top female engineers and entrepreneurs.
“The entrance of Girls Who Code into Miami will help build on the city’s increasingly diverse community of entrepreneurs and innovators, while adding to its pool of tech talent,” said Matt Haggman, Knight Foundation Program Director for Miami. “The program is about opening up new opportunities and we are thrilled with its arrival in Miami.”
In January 2013, Knight Foundation announced $435,000 in funding to support the launch of Girls Who Code in Detroit, San Jose and Miami.
Follow @GirlsWhoCode on Twitter for updates.
About Girls Who Code
Girls Who Code is a national nonprofit working to close the gender gap in the technology and engineering sectors. Through Summer Immersion Programs and Girls Who Code Clubs, the organization’s unique programs effectively inspire, educate, and equip young women with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities. Additional information is available at www.girlswhocode.com.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit knightfoundation.org.
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Contacts:
Charlotte Stone, Director of Communications & Marketing, 724-541-4020, [email protected].
Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, 305-908-2677, [email protected]