Girls Who Code, a national non-profit, announced the launch of their summer immersion programs on June 24. The programs span across New York, Detroit, San Jose, Davis, and San Francisco, but revolve around the central theme of giving young women the tools necessary to succeed in STEM fields.
The summer immersion programs embed 20 high school juniors, selected through an intense review process, inside of eight different partner companies. During the course of the 9–5 workday, these women will get hands-on experience in programming fundamentals, web and mobile development, and robotics.
With an impressive resume of partners, like eBay, AT&T, and Google, Girls Who Code’s pilot launch will mark their nationwide expansion focused on bringing women STEM workers into the industry’s pipeline of talent.
“The gender gap in STEM is the domestic issue of our time,” says Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani in the press release. “We are continuing to galvanize industry leaders to bring this critical skill set to even more girls across the country.”
Additionally, the 160 young women will spend 300-plus hours being instructed, mentored, and exposed to the industry and its leaders. The success of this pilot program would open up doors for similar programs to be rolled out in schools all across America this upcoming fall.