MIAMI — Jan. 19, 2016 — Girls Who Code, a national nonprofit working to inspire, educate and equip young women with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities, will continue its groundbreaking Summer Immersion Program in Miami through 2018, with $500,000 in new support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. New funding to Girls Who Code builds on previous Knight support to the nonprofit, announced in January 2013, which helped launch the program in Detroit, San Jose, Calif., and Miami.

“The gender gap isn’t just a Silicon Valley issue anymore,” said Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code. “The shortage of women in technical roles, whether it’s retail, entertainment or finance is an enormous crisis both in terms of innovation and socio-economic equality throughout the United States. Girls Who Code has established a successful track record of empowering girls to pursue majors and eventually careers in computer science. We’re thrilled to partner with Knight Foundation to continue our unyielding commitment to educating the next generation of female technology leaders in Miami.”

Applications for Girls Who Code’s 2016 Summer Immersion Program opened today in 11 cities across the country, including Miami. The program will begin this June and run for seven weeks, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The two Miami-based programs will include a total of 60 rising high school juniors and seniors who demonstrate a passion for technology, regardless of prior coding experience.

Applications will be open until March 1, 2016 on the Girls Who Code website at girlswhocode.com/apply.

“To make Miami a place where innovation thrives, we must ensure that the people building our technology and ideas represent our wide diversity,” said Matt Haggman, Knight Foundation program director for Miami. “Girls Who Code is doing just that by encouraging young women from all backgrounds to find their calling in tech and engineering fields, while helping to expand Miami’s growing pool of talent.”

The nonprofit also announced today that a record number of organizations will support the Summer Immersion Program in 2016. In all, 42 organizations will support 78 programs for 1,560 girls — a 37 percent increase in number of programs from last year. Most of the supporters include Fortune 500 companies. In addition, $1 million in scholarships will be provided to help girls from disadvantaged communities attend the program in 11 U.S. cities.

Launched in New York 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.

Since its founding in 2012, Girls Who Code has taught more than 10,000 girls in 42 states.

The summer program has proven effective at inspiring young girls to pursue computer science. A 2015 survey found that 90 percent of Girls Who Code alumnae have declared or intend to declare a major or minor in computer science. Of those studying computer science, 77 percent cited Girls Who Code as significantly affecting decisions regarding their career path.

Girls Who Code launched its first Summer Immersion Program in Miami in 2014 and continued the program in 2015. This year will be its third year in Miami.

Support for Girls Who Code is a part of Knight Foundation’s efforts to invest in Miami’s emerging innovators and entrepreneurs as a tool to build community, while fostering talent and expanding economic opportunity. Over the past three years, Knight has made more than 100 investments in entrepreneurship in South Florida.

For more information, visit girlswhocode.com. Follow @GirlsWhoCode on Twitter for updates.

About Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is a national nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology. Through its Summer Immersion Program and Girls Who Code Clubs, the organization is leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip young women with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities. Additional information is available at 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.

CONTACTS:

Christina Honeysett, Communications and Marketing, Girls Who Code: 917-717-1816, [email protected]

Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, Knight Foundation: 305-908-2646 [email protected]