This Is What Female Tech Role Models Look Like
Teen girls increasingly take their cues about what they want to be from places like YouTube. But search for “coder” on YouTube and you’ll see videos that reinforce the stereotype of a coder as a nerdy guy. We want to change that and offer teen girls relatable role models that help them see themselves as coders and tomorrow’s tech talent.
Last week, we released “My Code,” a YouTube series about learning how to code from the perspective of four female coders. The weekly series airs every Thursday on YouTube through the summer.
“My Code” shares the experiences of four Girls Who Code alumnae: Audrey, Brittney, Margot, and Shannon. These real world role models and coders, all in high school, represent a diverse range of perspectives and interests in technology — from gaming to animation to social impact to web design. Every week, the cast of “My Code” will answer questions about what it’s like to learn to code and tackle a different perspective on their journey: from why they learned to code to the challenges they’ve faced and their plans for the future. “My Code” aims to provide relatable and practical advice for teen girls who are interested in coding on a platform that they use each and every day.
We hope that any girl who watches “My Code” will realize that EVERYTHING she uses day in and day out is a result of code and will be inspired to learn to code. The goal is to help girls see themselves as coders and, by doing so, start to close the gender gap in technology.
