Girls Who Code Celebrates 10th Anniversary With “CodeFair,” A Three-Day Public Event

The immersive tech experience will take place from March 24th-March 26th at The Altman Building in New York City

The organization will also host an Opening Night Celebration and Fundraiser on March 23rd

New York, NY - (January 23, 2023) – Today, Girls Who Code, a nonprofit working to close the gender gap in tech, announced CodeFair, a three-day event from Friday, March 24th – Sunday, March 26th at The Altman Building in New York City. The immersive tech experience invites the public to play, discover, code, and engage their imagination using technology’s most thrilling innovations. From discovering the Metaverse to coding your aura and becoming a safer cyber citizen, guests will find endless opportunities to nurture their passions while learning computer science fundamentals. The organization will kick off CodeFair with an Opening Night Party and Fundraiser, including an awards ceremony and VIP event access, on March 23rd at The Altman Building.

The Opening Night Party and Fundraiser will feature a DJ set by UNIIQU3 and honor incredible leaders in the tech space, including Reshma Saujani, Girls Who Code Founder and Moms First CEO; Dr. Joy Buolamwini, founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, Jen Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), supporters from AT&T, Raytheon, and Xandr, and students from the first ever Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program.

Created in celebration of Girls Who Code’s 10th Anniversary, CodeFair was designed to mirror the organization’s ambition, creativity, and unprecedented scale – and honor the 500,000 students, 115,000 alumni, and dozens of partners that make up the Girls Who Code community. Over the last ten years, Girls Who Code has changed the culture of what a computer scientist looks like and does and has inspired an entire generation to seek out the thriving jobs of the future. They remain on track to close the gender gap in entry-level tech jobs by 2030. Looking ahead, CodeFair also marks the beginning of a new goal to reach 1 million students in the next decade of work.

“We’re so thrilled that our vision for CodeFair is finally becoming a reality, and can’t wait to celebrate our 10th Anniversary with our community, our friends and family, and beyond,” said Dr. Tarika Barrett, CEO of Girls Who Code. “At Girls Who Code, we want to do more than close the gender gap in tech. We also want marginalized groups to know that computer science can be a space where they belong – a space that can be creative, fun, and bold. CodeFair is our way of showing the world that anything is possible when we work to create a tech industry that reflects the diverse world we live in today.”

The CodeFair experiences include:

• Metaverse Disco: Step into the metaverse and onto the dance floor. Using a VR headset, enjoy an upbeat dance party with others in the Girls Who Code community.

• The Encryption Mantra Cafe: Approach the super aesthetic cafe kiosk to receive an encrypted mantra hidden within a fortune cookie. You’ll receive a special decoder to learn all about encryptions and help you receive your personalized positive message (mantra).

• Girls Who Code Cyber HQ: This interactive cyber-escape-room inspired game asks you to become a Cyber Vixen. Prevent cyber security attacks in your own life by solving a timed cat-tastic challenge.

• GWC Gaming Lounge: Play video games coded by real Girls Who Code alumni while trying out some of the newest gaming tech. This activation features Girls who Code Girls Campaign, Doja Code and Missing Code from the GWC portfolio, encouraging girls to Code the Next Generation of Video Games.

• Color Code Your Vibe: Get a digital color palette and unique-to-you aura photo at this activation. Use Hex values to create your next website, apply to your personal brand, or choose your next nail color.

• The NFT Art Studio: What does it take to create world famous digital art and generate hundreds of unique masterpieces that can become NFTs? Try it out for yourself at our pop-up NFT Art Studio, where you’ll learn all about digital and generative art making.

• Science of Beauty: What does beauty, science and tech have in common? Data. Using the key ingredients of skincare products, you’ll discover how collecting data from unique places can drive scientific creativity.

• The Possibility Screen: This gigantic interactive centerpiece shows us what’s possible in the world of technology today. Featuring digital first female artists, workshops, curated content, brand activations, performances, and more.

“Girls Who Code began with one classroom of twenty girls and has grown into a global movement of activism, sisterhood, and empowerment,” said Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and CEO of Moms First. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate these past ten years than with CodeFair, an event that honors how far we’ve come and how much we can achieve when we center girls and young women as the future of tech.”

“It’s been a privilege to witness Girls Who Code’s commitment to expanding access to tech education for the most vulnerable students,” said Carol Donovan Juel, Girls Who Code Board Chair, Executive Vice President, and Chief Technology and Operating Officer at Synchrony. “There are so many avenues into the tech world, and so many ways to appreciate how tech can benefit our lives. CodeFair is a tremendous opportunity for our students and the broader public to experience these possibilities firsthand, and I couldn’t be more excited.”

CodeFair was made possible by generous support from Accenture, Bank of America, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, MetLife Foundation, Raytheon Technologies, Synchrony, and Wells Fargo.

Additional 10th Anniversary support was provided by: Akkodis and Hired, Bharat Anand and Anju Nohria, Boston Consulting Group, Paul Daugherty, Greg Gunn, Carol Donovan Juel, Liberty Mutual Insurance, LSEG Foundation, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, Pluralsight, Leyla Seka, Juan A. Sabater, Marissa Shorenstein, The Sonali and Hari Fund, Andrea and Jason Spero, TransPerfect, The Travelers Companies, Inc., and The Wenig Family Charitable Fund.

Additional Event Information:

Location

The Altman Building

135 West 18th Street

New York, NY 10011

CodeFair Opening Night Celebration and Fundraiser

Thursday, March 23, 2023

6:30 - 9:30 pm ET; doors open at 6 pm ET

Click here to purchase tickets.

CodeFair Public Hours

Friday, March 24 | 10 am - 8 pm ET

Saturday, March 25, 2023 | 11 am - 8 pm ET

Sunday, March 26, 2023 | 11 am - 5 pm ET

Click here to purchase tickets.

About Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is an international nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology, and is leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip students who identify as girls or nonbinary with the computing skills needed to pursue 21st-century opportunities. Since launching in 2012, Girls Who Code has served 500,000 students through in-person and virtual programming, and 115,000 of our alumni are college or career-aged.

Girls Who Code has sparked culture change through marketing campaigns and advocacy efforts, generating 14 Billion engagements globally. In 2019, the organization was named the #1 Most Innovative Non-Profit on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list, and in 2022 was named one of NonProfit Times’ Best Nonprofits to Work For. Follow the organization on social media @GirlsWhoCode.