Girls Weekly Coding Club: Learn, Create, and Connect With Scratch!

This class is intended to serve as an inclusive STEM space for learners interested in creative and collaborative coding of various levels. While it is geared towards girls, learners of any gender are welcome. This is a no quiz, no competition, and no pressure space to create, code, and socialize with others. Learners should have an account on Scratch before joining (see Parental Guidance section below), but do not need ample experience to be successful.

Class structure:
-Each class, we will begin by connecting and sharing about code-related and unrelated interests and happenings in our world.
-Then, we will take a look at an example project and talk through what we can do with it to make it our own.
-We will go through the project step-by-step, where learners can follow along on their own devices. They then get the chance to add things to the project to make it their own!
-When time allows, we will take a look at women and nonbinary artists and programmers and take inspiration from their work, and talk through how we might use the inspiration to try something new.

Why a girls-focused class?
According to the National Girls Collaborative Project, women make up 50% of the workforce, they only make up 34% of the STEM workforce. For computer science, this gap is even greater: women make up only 20% of CS-degree holding graduates, and make up 26% of those working in computer/mathematical sciences. ("The State of Women and Girls in STEM", 2022)

As studies continue to explore the gender gap in STEM, what is often discovered is that girls and nonbinary students lack representation of themselves in STEM fields. The structure of STEM learning to be skills-based, rather than socially supportive, also contributes to this. This class aims to host an environment of support at all times, and always welcomes feedback from learners and grown-ups.