Young Women Who Code Workshops: A Guide to Get Girls Talking “TECH”

A growing number of organizations have become driving forces behind a global effort to bring feminine flair to the tech field. By replacing misconceptions with learning resources, Women Who Code has joined the conversation, and is encouraging more females to consider hobbies and careers in technology.

Computer programming and web development can be just as rewarding to teach as it is to learn. Use this guide as a foundation to deliver engaging workshops suited to meet the unique needs and objectives of the girls your in community.

Whether you’re planning a 1-hour coding camp, or a series of web development classes, here you’ll find plenty of tips, reference links and presentation media, to help you plan an inspiring technology workshop.

1. Gather “TECH” Resources

A basic understanding of computer programming is a strong complement to any skill set, and it comes with a potent dose of self-empowerment. Prepare for your workshop by sharpening your skills and gathering the tools, information and resources you’ll need to keep girls engaged. Set them on a path of learning and growth in technology.

• Bring laptops, tablets and smartphones to demonstrate tech tools and showcase learning resources
• Collect stickers, t-shirts and other tech-related, promo items donated from supporting organizations
• Assemble reference materials and worksheets so the girls will have plenty of take-home resources to share with their friends and families
• Garner support from professionals in technology and invite them to contribute and share their experiences

TECHercise:

Before the big day spend some time getting familiar with the tools and technologies you’ll use and discuss throughout the workshop. Review blogs, videos and other details on computer programming literacy organizations and advocates. These are great starting points to equip and motivate you to talk with girls about programming languages, web development and online learning resources.

2. Spark “TECH” Conversation

Connect with the girls by sharing your interests and discovering theirs. This will help you pinpoint tools and technologies directly related to the hobbies and activities they enjoy. Most of us rely on different types technologies for information, convenience and entertainment throughout the day. They’ll have fun sharing and discussing the technologies they use regularly, and are most familiar with.

• Introduce yourself and talk with them about your profession and your interests
• Encourage them to talk about some of the activities they enjoy
• Begin to discuss how these interests and activities relate to new and emerging technologies
• Demonstrate new tech products and services relative to the interests discussed
• Talk with them about how technology influences our choices and shapes our world

TECHercise:

Invite a guest-speaker to join you and the girls in a roundtable discussion on viewing our hobbies and interests as opportunities in technology. Encourage them to talk about the activities they enjoy most, and reward eager participants with promo items donated from supporting tech organizations. End your discussion with an inspiring video or activity to propel the group into learning more about women in technology.

3. Raise “TECH” Awareness

You’ve connected with the girls, discovered their interests, and piqued their curiosities. Now encourage them to discuss ideas and explore the possibilities of creating NEW technologies. Show them how their interests can become fun hobbies and rewarding careers at any age.

• Lead a discussion about what the world might become if only men and boys created the technologies that shape our world
• Showcase and discuss graphics that clearly illustrate the gender disproportions of professionals in technology
• Illustrate the importance of learning to code from a literacy standpoint
• Encourage the girls to discuss technologies they might create to satisfy their own needs and desires
• Ask them if they would like to help shape our world by learning, teaching and creating new technologies

TECHercise:

Power up the laptops, tablets and smartphones! Organize mini-breakout sessions and take the girls on a guided tour of websites, mobile applications and games that support their interests. Encourage them to explore these technologies, then lead a discussion on how these products were created. Showcase websites like Scratch, HacketyHack, Stencyl, ShoesRB and Crunchzilla, and help the girls explore the fundamental principles of computer programming.

4. Discuss “TECH” Careers

Engage the girls in a discussion about the gamut of professions and careers that bring us cool tech toys, games and gadgets. Visit popular websites and talk about how careers in technology impact and influence society’s daily computing needs. Discuss the basic differences between frontend and backend development. Walk the girls through a sequence of steps that illustrate how web developers work together to create the products and services that we use every day.

• Showcase tech careers and professionals relative to their interests
• Use graphics to help paint clear picture of exactly what computer programmers and web developers do, and how they impact our everyday lives
• Walk them through what happens from a web development standpoint when people enter information into a computer
• Talk about different computer programming languages and how they’re used in every day web development.

TECHercise:

Demonstrate a few online learning resources like Codecademy and Treehouse. After a few basic lessons, use laptops, tablets and smartphones to put some of their new skills to work by introducing a text editor and some basic HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Show the girls how to make their own, personal About Page along with how to include the photos and graphics they choose. Discuss content creation. Ask them to write a little about themselves and what technologies they’d like to create. Encourage the girls to be creative with colors, fonts, icons and images as they begin to explore web design principles.

5. Promote “TECH” Learning

Send the girls off beaming with enthusiasm, and viewing the world with greater tech awareness. Demonstrate practical and easily accessible methods for learning web development and computer programming on their own. Encourage the girls to connect with other tech-centric kids by discovering clubs and organizations at school, summer camps, and afterschool programs. Talk with them about sharing knowledge with others, and the fun and rewarding benefits of being an active member of the coding community.

• Discuss career paths and options to continue learning and furthering their education in technology.
• Demonstrate products and services to learn coding and computer programming
• Nurture their new skills by providing handouts, worksheets and resources that keep them informed and motivated

TECHercise:

Walk the girls though the process of registering for computer programming classes, and joining coding communities. Show them how to set up free accounts, and get started learning and earning points and completion badges with some of online learning platforms. Help them set and track their short and long-term computer literacy goals.

Economic imbalances, unemployment and antiquated educational frameworks have stifled the learning process just as engineering jobs and tech-related opportunities are skyrocketing. It’s more important than ever for women and girls to move beyond mere consumers of technology. Computer programming literacy is vital to the lifeblood of our economy, and should be on everyone’s list of skills to acquire regardless of age or gender.

Encouraging girls to consider hobbies and careers in technology will go a long way with empowering women, and shaping our world. Interestingly, if the number of women earning degrees were proportional to the number women represented in technology-related careers, women would more than double the number of qualified tech professionals necessary to begin revitalizing the American workforce. More female programmers and engineers means more role models for young girls pursuing careers in technology.

Let’s raise our expectations for girls, and challenge them to see a world full of new possibilities. By training girls to recognize tech opportunities, we broaden our collective scope, and invite feminine passions into emerging technologies. So encourage them to be “girly-girls” AND coding connoisseurs. Help ensure that every girl knows that she has something unique and valuable to share, and that her contributions are vital to the progression of technology. The world is a better place because SHE has left HER impression.

Band of Coders has collaborated with Women Who Code-Atlanta to offer weekend coding workshops to middle school girls. Share your thoughts! What are your suggestions for inspiring and motivating Young Women Who Code?

Originally published at womenwhocodeatl.tumblr.com.