Google launches program to teach girls to code

Google says that only 17% of their technology employees are women, and they are planning to spend millions to shift the balance.

Susan Wojcicki, the CEO of YouTube, became distressed one day that her daughter knew how to use technology, but didn’t seem interested in creating technology. She decided to launch a campaign in her home to encourage an interest in code. In addition to making additional resources available to her daughter, Wojcicki she made an effort to encourage her and to introduce her to other girls interested in computer science.

Wojcicki’s daughter isn’t alone. In a recent survey, less than one percent of high school girls expressed an interest in computer science. This is despite the fact that, by 2020 there will be an estimated 1.4 million computer science jobs and only 400,000 qualified graduates of either gender to fill them.

So Wojciki, along with her bosses at YouTube’s parent company Google decided to expand her program outside her house and into school and other organizations.

In partnership with Chelsea Clinton, Girl Scouts of the USA, MIT Media Lab, Mindy Kaling, Girls Inc., SevenTeen, Techcrunch, National Center for Women & Information technology and others, Google is launching Made With Code.

In addition to presentations, the Made With Code program features videos which shows how women are using coding skills in their careers and makes it clear that coding isn’t just about making software anymore.

“Nowadays, coding isn’t just a skill useful for working at a tech company; engineering isn’t just for engineers. Interior design. Medicine. Architecture. Music. No matter what a girl dreams of doing, learning how to code will help her get there. Their future — our future — is made with code. Let’s do what we can to make sure that future is as bright as possible,” said Wojcicki in a statement.

In addition to the videos and presentations, Made With Code makes simple blocky-based coding projects available so that girls can try their hand at easy, user friendly projects. Google has additionally committed $50 million to support programs that help get more girls interested in computer science and coding.

The program officially launched with an event in New York City and 100 girls from local organizations and public schools.