Software.org Hosts Girls Who Code Industry Immersion Day During the Program’s Ninth Summer
Software.org and Raytheon Technologies will host the first Girls Who Code Industry Immersion Day on July 25 to encourage workforce diversity across STEM fields.
WASHINGTON – Software.org: the BSA Foundation is partnering for the ninth straight year with Girls Who Code to sponsor a two-week Summer Immersion Program (SIP) for 61 high school students from 17 states for a DC-based program focused on promoting career pathways in software, and learning basic coding and design skills.
This summer, there will be a daylong experience on July 25, where students will visit the National Air & Space Museum for the Girls Who Code Industry Immersion Day, which will give participants a chance to interact in person with industry experts about many of the leading issues in tech.
“As an inaugural partner for DC’s Girls Who Code chapter, I cannot wait to meet with the students who will join in this year’s summer immersion program,” said Victoria Espinel, President of Software.org: the BSA Foundation and CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance.
“With software all around us and artificial intelligence coming to the forefront of the national conversation, it’s important to make sure that every person has access to opportunities to build their skills and understand how it can contribute to a career in software, and other science and technology fields,” Espinel continued. “Software.org is especially excited to host the 2023 Industry Immersion Day, which provides students with the opportunity to apply the skills and insights they developed over their program in a real setting.”
The SIP program consists of two elements: a virtual course that teaches students coding languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript with a particular focus on beginner to intermediate CS concepts, the iterative design process, and UX design basics. New in 2023, the students will also get an introduction to game design, a predominantly male-dominated industry in which only 30% of the game design industry are women, according to Statista.
Software.org will meanwhile join Raytheon Technologies in hosting the Industry Immersion Day, which will focus on mentoring students on how software can be used in every sector. Students will also learn from volunteers about their own journey in the tech industry and provide industry expertise.
Software.org has organized several events for the 2023 SIP covering Software at Work in Our Nation’s Capital, Women Leading on Technology Policy, Navigating Career Paths in Artificial Intelligence, Software Jobs Across Sectors, and more. This year’s keynote speakers include Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Dr. Arati Prabhakar, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, and SAP Chief Marketing and Solutions Officer Julia White. Software.org’s supporting companies, Adobe, Autodesk, IBM, and SAP will all have guest speakers interacting with the class this summer.
Software.org works with Girls Who Code each summer to introduce a class of students to the possibility of technology. BSA | The Software Alliance has sponsored a DC Girls Who Code classroom since the program’s creation in 2015. Participating students this year represent different parts of the United States including Arizona, Arkansas, California, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington,
Learn more about Software.org’s Girls Who Code classroom at https://software.org/initiatives/girls-who-code/.
Gideon Lett
VP & General Manager, Software.org
Gideon Lett serves as Vice President & General Manager of Software.org: the BSA Foundation, overseeing the Foundation’s programs, operations, and outreach.