Before I had ever taken a Computer Science (CS) class, I had the preconceived notion tattooed in my mind that it was an intimidating, male dominated field that women were weeded out of. However, I now know that only half of that is true. Yes, CS is a male-dominated field, but that does not mean that women cannot rise up and make it a more inclusive career. It starts with girls, especially those who are on the fence about exploring Computer Science due to the overwhelming male presence in any CS related field or activity, as I was at one point. When I approached the Capstone Project, I knew that I wanted to create an initiative involving coding, but I could not narrow down my interests. After pondering for a while, I knew where my passion was: spreading my love for programming to girls and showing them the diversity of the field.
My project is teaching programming to girls in my community by hosting workshops at local libraries and Girl Scout troops. The name I am giving my project is “Cupcakes 'n Code”, bringing together the fun of coding and eating delicious cupcakes. The strand I have selected is the “service oriented strand” because I want to share my passions with girls and show them where our future is: programming. I hope to host a workshop where girls (ages 8-14) can learn programming basics. I plan to work closely with the librarians and event planners at Gum Spring Library who are allowing me to use their “Maker Mill” and their MacBook cart during my workshops for those without a laptop to code on. I am partnering with a fellowship called She++ that works to empower underrepresented groups in technology by dismantling negative stereotypes surrounding technical careers and dispel the misconception that computer science is not a career for women/minorities by rebranding what it means to be a technologist. They will provide me with any excess materials that I need for my project and ideas to spread Computer Science to more girls in my community and the world beyond.
Although I have completed AP Computer Science and have learned various programming languages such as HTML, Java, and Python, I am currently becoming more experienced in Swift (iOS Development Language) and I hope to gain even more knowledge by teaching passionate young girls about this language. Throughout this project, I will utilize programs such as Xcode and Lynda.com to learn more about app development. It will be challenging, but it will be worth it if even if one girl comes out of my workshop feeling accomplished and excited to learn more.
In college, I am planning to pursue a Computer Science Major, and I truly believe the fact that you can learn more from teaching a subject than learning it by yourself. Beyond college, I hope to become a tech entrepreneur and this project, teaching programming, will help me continue on that path. This project will encourage girls in my community to explore the field of Computer Science and understand that in the future, the majority of careers will require some level of programming experience.
My project is teaching programming to girls in my community by hosting workshops at local libraries and Girl Scout troops. The name I am giving my project is “Cupcakes 'n Code”, bringing together the fun of coding and eating delicious cupcakes. The strand I have selected is the “service oriented strand” because I want to share my passions with girls and show them where our future is: programming. I hope to host a workshop where girls (ages 8-14) can learn programming basics. I plan to work closely with the librarians and event planners at Gum Spring Library who are allowing me to use their “Maker Mill” and their MacBook cart during my workshops for those without a laptop to code on. I am partnering with a fellowship called She++ that works to empower underrepresented groups in technology by dismantling negative stereotypes surrounding technical careers and dispel the misconception that computer science is not a career for women/minorities by rebranding what it means to be a technologist. They will provide me with any excess materials that I need for my project and ideas to spread Computer Science to more girls in my community and the world beyond.
Although I have completed AP Computer Science and have learned various programming languages such as HTML, Java, and Python, I am currently becoming more experienced in Swift (iOS Development Language) and I hope to gain even more knowledge by teaching passionate young girls about this language. Throughout this project, I will utilize programs such as Xcode and Lynda.com to learn more about app development. It will be challenging, but it will be worth it if even if one girl comes out of my workshop feeling accomplished and excited to learn more.
In college, I am planning to pursue a Computer Science Major, and I truly believe the fact that you can learn more from teaching a subject than learning it by yourself. Beyond college, I hope to become a tech entrepreneur and this project, teaching programming, will help me continue on that path. This project will encourage girls in my community to explore the field of Computer Science and understand that in the future, the majority of careers will require some level of programming experience.