In 2012, Microsoft launched YouthSpark, a company-wide, global initiative to provide opportunities for 300 million youth to reach their true potential by 2015. Through 30+ programs and partnerships with more than 350 youth-serving nonprofits, Microsoft YouthSpark has created new opportunities for young people in over 100 countries around the world. This summer, Microsoft welcomed high school junior and senior girls to discover their potential as computer scientists with Girls Who Code for their Summer Immersion Program.
Girls Who Code was founded in 2012 and focuses on closing the gender gap in computing fields. Mobilizing leading executives, educators, and engineers, Girls Who Code developed a new model of computer science education designed to inspire, educate, and equip girls with the skills to succeed in the field. In just three years, Girls Who Code has delivered 3,000+ hours of instruction to 1,000+ girls nationwide through their flagship Summer Immersion Program and after-school clubs. The 7-week Summer Immersion Program, hosted here at our Silicon Valley campus, provided 20 high school girls with hands-on experience in computing concepts, programming fundamentals, mobile app development, robotics, and web design through classroom instruction, talks, demos, and workshops.
Students were guided through weekly assignments by instructor Sarah Spikes and teaching aids, Jade Edwards and Yoko Kanai, both recent graduates of university computer science programs. Each week a field trip was planned to expand the girls’ exposure to the local tech industry: they visited our Technology Center and //garage, (the new marker space on campus), and toured the neighboring Computer History Museum, as well as other technology companies in the area.
The girls also heard from all-female speakers and industry leaders including Marissa Mayer and Sheryl Sandberg at the Facebook campus. One team was so touched by the speakers’ messages that they geared their final project around female empowerment. Using HTML and JavaScript the girls created a computer game called “The Climb.” It focuses on bringing awareness to Impostor Syndrome – a psychological phenomenon when an individual doubts their ability to succeed – a condition that disproportionately effects females.
One participant shared, ‘Throughout this program, the battle against Impostor Syndrome was brought up in our lectures and field trips.” For example, when Vivienne Ming, a transgender theoretical neuroscientist, spoke to the summer cohort, she voiced that her inner struggle prevented her from accomplishing her goals. Only after she pushed herself to overcome internal self-doubt did she flourish in STEM. Like Vivienne, the feeling of unworthiness seemed to be a shared sentiment among the girls.
Other projects included a budgeting app, a tutor-finding service, a Girls Who Code alumni/mentorship network, a website to help overcome negative emotions, and a water conservation website with challenging trivia.
As the seven week summer program came to a close, Lilian Rincon, Group Program Manager at Skype Mobile & Innovation, delivered the graduation address. Imparting the challenge to be successful in a male-dominated field, she said, “Be a mentor – to your friends, family and classmates. You are now in a unique generation that we hope will start evening out the leadership and contributions to STEM. Help share this with others. And, speaking of sharing, we would like to share that the new Surface Pro 3 devices you’ve been working with this summer are yours to keep!,” as cheers erupted from the audience.
These impressive young ladies are more equipped to become leaders and innovators when programs like these are available to them. Congratulations to our Girls Who Code alums and all of their hard work this summer.
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To learn more about Microsoft’s commitment to youth and education, visit our YouthSpark Hub or follow us on twitter at @msftcitizenship.
