Girls Who Code Announces Plans to Launch Clubs Virtually & In-Person for Fall 2021, Expanding Organizational Reach to 450,000 Students Globally

New York, NY -- (August 18, 2021) - Girls Who Code, the international nonprofit working to close the gender gap in technology, today launched its Fall 2021 Clubs program, offering both all-virtual and in-person options. This announcement is the latest in Girls Who Code’s ongoing efforts to make coding education accessible and flexible for students of all backgrounds amid the pandemic. Half of the girls served come from historically underrepresented groups in tech—from Black, Latinx, or low-income communities—and have been hit the hardest by a lack of access to education over the past year.

“The pandemic revealed deep gaps in education access, particularly among girls and girls of color, that have been growing for years. To help our students thrive in the upcoming school year, we need to focus on more than just test scores -- we also need hands-on, flexible engagement that supports girls and helps keep them on track. With our Clubs program, we hope to do just that,” said Dr. Tarika Barrett, CEO of Girls Who Code. “We’re so excited to launch our Clubs program this year, bringing sisterhood and community back to girls around the world and providing them with the tools and confidence they need to make a difference.”

Girls Who Code Clubs are free after-school programs for 3rd-12th grade students that can be hosted either in-person or virtually. The customizable Clubs curriculum includes activities for students with zero computer science experience as well as activities that introduce college-level coding concepts. When starting a Girls Who Code Club, students gain access to free resources, a flexible plug-and-play curriculum, ongoing support, alumni opportunities for young learners, and more. Anyone—teacher, librarian, parent, community leader—can start a Club, regardless of experience with computer science. Girls Who Code materials are designed so that facilitators can learn alongside students.

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

Girls Who Code Clubs are sponsored by major companies and philanthropic foundations, including ADP, Apple, Bank of America, C.H. Robinson Foundation, DeepMind, Dell, F5 Networks, Ford Fund, Humble Bundle, Northrop Grumman Foundation, S&P Global, and the S&P Global Foundation, Synchrony, U.S. Bank, and Walmart.

“We’re thrilled to continue our important partnership with Girls Who Code’s Clubs program. During a year of unprecedented challenges, nothing could be more important than ensuring that girls and young women across the country don’t fall behind,” said Becky Staton, Senior Vice President of Cyber Workforce Strategy at Bank of America. “At Bank of America, we're committed to creating the pipeline of the tech leaders of tomorrow and providing opportunities for connection and advancement, and our work with Girls Who Code is essential to making that future a reality.”

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 a virtual Summer Immersion Program featuring fireside chats with leaders including Secretary Hillary Clinton, Dr. Biden, Soledad O’Brien, and Bozoma Saint John; a two-week virtual Work Prep program designed to introduce college-aged women to career pathways in technology; and a Hiring Summit, a one-day virtual event designed to connect the Girls Who Code community with technical career opportunities, and to connect hiring managers to a diverse slate of candidates.

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.