July 16, 2021

In addition to bringing US policymakers and inspirational guest speakers from the software industry into the Girls Who Code classroom, Software.org has also arranged three mentorship workshops for students to learn important career skills—such as building a resume, advice for success in job interviews, and learning the importance of mentorship and networking—as well as exploring opportunities available in software and STEM-related fields, some of which don’t require coding at all.

Our first mentorship event of the year, focused on applying to college and career development as prospective STEM majors, featured an expert panel of women in academia to share their career stories and insight into the computer science and STEM fields:

• Dr. Paige E. Smith, Director, Women In Engineering Program, University of Maryland, College Park
• Dr. Carol O’Donnell, Director, Smithsonian Science Education Center
• April Doss, Executive Director, Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy

In breakout sessions, students were able to interact directly with our panelists in small groups for an in-depth discussion about their career interests in STEM, how to stand out on college applications, internship opportunities available at the Smithsonian Institution and other organizations, and how coding and other digital skills can be helpful in careers even for those who decide not to become full-time software developers.