Girls Who Code Announces Plans to Launch Clubs Virtually for Fall 2020, Expanding Reach of More than 300,000 Girls Globally

Virtual Clubs are the latest in a series of initiatives launched by Girls Who Code to address educational needs of young women in response to COVID-19 pandemic

New York, NY (August 3, 2020) - Girls Who Code, the international nonprofit working to close the gender gap in technology, today announced that it has adapted its Clubs program to offer an all-virtual option for Fall 2020. This announcement is the latest in an ongoing series of virtual initiatives launched by the non-profit to address the educational needs of young women in response to COVID-19.

“We’ve reached 300,000 girls around the world with our programming since 2012, and we’re committed to continue serving them through this unprecedented time,” said Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code. “Half the girls we serve come from historically underrepresented groups in tech—from Black, Latinx, or low-income communities—and they need us now more than ever.”

Girls Who Code Clubs are free after-school programs for 3rd-12th grade girls, run by community leaders, teachers, librarians, and parents. The Clubs curriculum is designed to be accessible to girls with a wide range of computer science experience. The new virtual Club resources will feature additional online training, digital learning tips and best practices, virtual-friendly meeting guides, and 120+ hours of project-based online and offline curricula.

“Girls Who Code has been working nonstop to deliver on the promise of our programming for girls who need us most,” said Dr. Tarika Barrett, Chief Operating Officer at Girls Who Code. “We’ve completely redesigned and redeployed our program, while keeping in mind the realities of accessibility for the communities we serve.”

To apply to start a Girls Who Code Club, click here. No prior coding or computer science experience necessary.

Girls Who Code Clubs are sponsored by major companies and philanthropic foundations, including: ADP, Amazon, Apple, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, AT&T, Bank of America, Capital One, C.H. Robinson, The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation, Dell Technologies, GDIT, Procter & Gamble, Hearst Foundation, Pinkerton Foundation, Prudential Financial, Raytheon Technologies, Synchrony, Tesla, Toyota Foundation, U.S. Bank, and Walmart.

This announcement comes on the heels of a series of virtual initiatives released by the Girls Who Code team in response to COVID-19, including: weekly virtual Code at Home exercises, a four-part Girls Who Code Talks series for alumni, a virtual Summer Immersion Program featuring fireside chats with leaders including Secretary Hillary Clinton, Dr. Biden, Soledad O’Brien, Bozoma Saint John, and more.

About Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is an international nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology, and leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip young women with the computing skills needed to pursue 21st century opportunities.

Since launching in 2012, Girls Who Code has reached 500 million people through its work and 300,000 girls through its in-person programming. College-aged alumni of Girls Who Code are declaring majors in computer science and related fields at 15 times the U.S. average. In 2019, the organization was named the #1 Most Innovative Non-Profit on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list. Follow the organization on social media @GirlsWhoCode.