Computing skills are the most sought-after and highest-paying in the US job market, with demand growing 3X the national average. Yet fewer than 1 in 5 computer science graduates are women, and that number is declining.

To close the gender gap in technology, we must teach girls not only how to positively impact their community through code, but also how to be brave and resilient — which has an enormous impact on how they approach challenges and whether they stick with coding in the years to come. Since its inception in 2012, Girls Who Code has been leading this movement to increase the number of women in tech and change the image of what a programmer looks like and does. The international organization has reached nearly 185,000 young girls, who are choosing to major in CS and related fields at 15 times the national average.

During this interactive session, we will be featuring our Girls Who Code Clubs, which are completely free afterschool programs for 6th-12th grade girls to join a sisterhood of supportive peers and role models and use computer science to change the world. Through fun and interactive curricula, Club girls not only learn about how to positively impact their community through code, but they also are taught to be brave and resilient — which has an enormous impact on how they approach challenges and whether they stick with coding in the years to come.

Join Chelsey Echevarria, Illinois Regional Partnership Coordinator at Girls Who Code, as she talks about how to inspire and equip girls in your schools with the computing skills, bravery, and resilience they need to succeed in the 21st century. Together, you will discuss how to join the movement for gender parity, participate in hands-on activities that you can walk away with, and engage in a design thinking activity to help you bring code and digital equity to your community.