Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Albert Einstein, and Neil Armstrong are household names—but Katherine Johnson, Grace Hopper, Ada Lovelace, and Jean Bartik are not nearly as well known.  

As children’s rights activist Marian Wright Edelman says, “You cannot be what you cannot see.” The gender gap in STEM persists, and when girls can’t imagine themselves as computer scientists, they are less likely to pursue the field. Those who do are in the minority, making it likely that they’ll drop out somewhere along the pipeline. But according to research at Stanford University, if girls were to be exposed to female inventors at the same rate as boys to male inventors, female innovation rates would rise by 164%, and the gender gap in innovation would fall by 55%. 

Enter Girls Who Code. 

The Origin of Girls Who Code  

In 2010, Reshma Saujani was running for Congress. As a part of her campaign, she visited classrooms across New York and noticed the lack of girls in computer science classrooms.  

Saujani’s House run was ultimately unsuccessful, but her observation stuck with her. After much research and many conversations, Saujani bought the GirlsWhoCode.com domain, borrowed some office space from a friend, and recruited 20 girls for the first-ever Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program. This was the beginning of Girls Who Code (GWC), an idea that has since become a movement 185,000 girls and 100 million allies strong. By making female role models in tech more visible, Girls Who Code believes it can close the gender gap in the field. 

Being Brave and Taking Risks  

Coppell ISD seventh grader Sai has been coding for a few years. Joining Girls Who Code has allowed her to learn text-based programming languages and be a part of a community of young coders. Sai is one of 26 students who belong to Coppell Middle School East’s Girls Who Code Club, which, like more than 10,000 other clubs across the nation, is a free after-school program for third through 12th grade girls. Curriculum ranges from activities for those with zero computer science experience to activities that introduce college-level coding concepts. 

“As a young person interested in coding, I was frustrated by the fact there weren’t many professionally organized ways for me to use what knowledge I had to create and invent with people who were also interested in programming,” Sai says. “That’s why I was enthralled when I saw a Girls Who Code application form posted on our school’s online network—I felt like I could really advance my skills in computer science by making something out of the opportunity that was presented to me. 

“Being a member of the club has allowed me to use my creative abilities in ways that I never thought would be so versatile, yet so easy to work with,” Sai continues. “Apps, software, and websites are rising in popularity, not only as utilities, but also as art forms. Girls Who Code has allowed me to harness these art forms, making them powerful, useful, and enjoyable-to-make tools. It has also significantly improved my collaboration skills and has helped me become more of a leader than a follower. I love working with my friends on projects that require all of our skills and satisfy all of our interests.” 

Each club is led by a facilitator. For Sai and her fellow coding sisters, that facilitator is science teacher and ATPE member Jodie Deinhammer.  

“Ms. Deinhammer, normally our science teacher, is our facilitator,” Sai explains. “She has played a pivotal role in getting all of us off the ground and onto our computers. Each meeting, she remembers what we are here to do and helps us do it quickly, efficiently, and wonderfully. When any of us need help or are stuck, she’s fast to pinpoint the error and give us aid in solving it. None of us, from my group or others, would have gotten anywhere without her.” 

Deinhammer is a distinguished Apple Teacher whose interest in Girls Who Code was piqued at an Apple ConnectEd event. She confessed she was no coder, but when the GWC rep told her she didn’t need any computer science experience to lead a club, she promised to look into the program. After reviewing the sample curriculum and free resources, Deinhammer realized it was easy to get started. 

“I registered us online and made a flyer that I posted on the school announcements board,” Deinhammer explains. “I thought I would have 10 students at most, but 36 students signed up! When we met the following week, all of them showed up. I hadn’t realized, but they already knew about Girls Who Code.” 

Deinhammer recalls being “a little overwhelmed” because she didn’t know how to code herself, but after teaming up with another Apple Teacher, she was  easily able to brainstorm how to make the club great for the students—and they loved it. Soon, the girls began collaborating with one another, pitching projects together, and giving one another feedback. 

“It was awesome to see the turnout and the confidence they were developing,” Deinhammer says. “I have learned that kids are really great problem solvers. I offer my support, but it’s really them who find the solutions to their challenges. 

“Not only are they great at working together, but also they really uplift one another and brag about how good their peers are. They are so invested and look forward to coming together so much. It’s inspiring. Although I initially was worried it would be too much of a time commitment, I quickly realized that all of the resources I need are already created for me, making it easy to put together.”  

Currently, the Coppell Middle School East girls are working on a project modeled after the November Apple ConnectEd event in which they create an app prototype using Pages. The project is in partnership with IBM, and each part of the design has the real feel of a phone app. They’re even doing an app showcase with IBM where the students will receive direct feedback from IBM developers. Additionally, Sai says they’re making an app designed to make “going green a lot more fun.” Users complete challenges on the app and are then rewarded with coins that can be used to add wildlife to a virtual environment.  

Not wanting to stop there, Sai has taken her skills to the next level by working on projects offered by Girls Who Code headquarters. 

“Recently, I’ve been working on using public APIs and API keys to create JavaScript programs,” she explains. “Even if you’re not working with JavaScript, the projects they have offer a much-needed breath of fresh air from the relatively scarce amount of actual programming that is involved while working on our app prototypes.”  

Inspiring the Future  

For both Sai and Deinhammer, Girls Who Code has been a wonderful, challenging, and wild ride. And they hope their success inspires other schools to start their own clubs, especially to help fill the gap in the tech world. 

“In addition to trying to convince the other middle schools to start GWC Clubs, I am encouraging the local high school to start a club as well,” Deinhammer says. “Many of the girls in our club are graduating this year and are concerned they won’t be able to continue Girls Who Code in the ninth grade. My main point of encouragement to teachers, librarians, and other community members is to be open-minded because it really is so fun and easy.”  

Sai believes in the ability of Girls Who Code to break down barriers and inspire the next generation of coders. 

“We need more girls, and more people altogether, in STEM fields,” Sai says. “Not only does the modern world demand more workers in STEM, but a majority of STEM jobs already in circulation go unfulfilled, which is bad for companies and industries alike. However, many are dissuaded from entering the field because it may seem daunting or challenging to do so. I hope the club succeeds in inspiring girls that society speaks the truth: Just about anyone can code.”   

Club Program 

Girls Who Code Clubs are free after-school programs for third to 12th grade girls. The curriculum includes activities for girls with zero computer science experience as well as activities that introduce college-level coding concepts. Anyone—teacher, librarian, parent, community leader—can start a club, regardless of experience with computer science. Girls Who Code materials are designed so facilitators can learn alongside students. Girls Who Code currently has more than 10,000 clubs in communities across the United States. Learn more at girlswhocode.com/clubs. 

About Girls Who Code 

An international nonprofit, Girls Who Code works to close the gender gap in technology and lead the movement to inspire, educate, and equip young women with the computing skills needed to pursue 21st century opportunities. 

Since launching in the United States in 2012, Girls Who Code has reached over 185,000 girls through its programs (Clubs, Campus, Summer Immersion Program, and College Loops) and 100 million people through campaigns, advocacy work, and a 13-book New York Times best-selling series.