What is a Girls Who Code Club:

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1. Girls Who Code (GWC) Clubs are free extracurricular programs for 3rd-5th and 6th-12th grade girls that teach participants about Computer Science (CS) in a fun and safe environment!

2. GWC Clubs take place throughout the academic year. They serve as a place for girls to spend time together while learning about CS and building their confidence.

3. Clubs provide participants with a sisterhood of supportive peers and role models, and an opportunity to use their skills to positively impact their community.

4. Clubs are hosted at non-profit locations, such as schools, libraries, and community centers. They are led by volunteer Facilitators, who use the curriculum and resources provided by GWC on our learning platform, HQ.

5. Clubs are led by Facilitators, who can be teachers, computer scientists, librarians, parents, or volunteers from any background or field. Many Facilitators have no technical experience and learn to code alongside their Club members.

 

Are Boys Allowed to Join Girls Who Code Clubs:

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While our programs are designed for participants who identify as female, we encourage our Clubs to welcome any member who wishes to join the Girls Who Code mission regardless of gender identity. 

Girls Who Code takes a gender-specific approach to our programming. This means that our programming is one that keeps the focus on girls and considers the biases that might impact their experience. We deliver this by providing girls with safe, girls-focused spaces, and centering curricula on women in tech so that girls can imagine themselves in computing roles. Any member regardless of gender identity who wishes to support our mission is encouraged to join the Sisterhood! 

To learn more about girls participation in K-12 computer science classrooms and the GWC gender-specific approach read our 2019 Advocacy Report.

 

What will girls learn in Girls Who Code:

 

The short answer is: girls will learn about  concepts, and just as importantly, they'll learn that they have a community in the computer science space! To accommodate students of a wide range of ages and experience in computer science, the Girls Who Code curriculum is divided into two programs: 3rd-5th grade and 6th-12th grade. Our curricula include activities for students with no computer science experience all the way up to college-level concepts.

Throughout the Club, all members will:
 

1. Learn to see themselves as computer scientists.

2. Gain exposure to project management and problem solving techniques.

3. Join a safe and supportive environment of peers and role models.

4. Learn the foundational computer science concepts that form the basis for all programming languages.

5. Learn a variety of programming languages, from block-based code (Scratch) to Python and JavaScript. Depending on student level, more advanced topics like object-oriented programming, data structures, and algorithms may be covered.

6. 6th-12th grade Clubs only: Work with a team to build a Girls Who Code Project that addresses a real-world problem.

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How many times does a GWC Club meet:

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The Girls Who Code curricula are designed to be flexible, so there's no set number of times a Club has to meet. Clubs may meet at a schedule that works best for them, as decided by the Facilitator. We strongly recommend scheduling at least 45 minutes per meeting to give the Facilitator enough time to cover all the material for that session. 3rd-5th grade curriculum is designed to take 5-10+ sessions. The 6th-12th grade curriculum is usually covered in 10-15+ sessions.

 

The number of meetings held also depends on the Club’s duration. Clubs may be held during:

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1. Fall Semester (approximately September - December)

2. Spring Semester (January - May)

3. Academic Year (September - May)

 

At this time, we do not support Clubs sessions held during the summer (June-August).

 

GWC Clubs typically meet  (any day of the week) for at least 45 minutes, but our curricula are designed to be flexible to meet the needs and schedules of the students.

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1. Our 3rd-5th grade curriculum supports 5-15+ meetings.

2. Our 6th-12th grade curriculum is designed to stretch across 10-15+ weeks.

 

So Girls Who Code can be prepared to provide support, Facilitators are asked on the Application when they plan to host their Club.

 

For 3rd-5th grade Clubs: If you need to change your launch date or host site address for any reason, please let us know as soon as you can by emailing us at clubs@girlswhocode.com. This information helps us determine time frames for shipping a Starter Kit to you. You do not need the kit to start your Club but it is necessary for your fourth meeting onward.

     

    * Information provided by Girls Who Code: www.girlswhocode.com.