IT'S ESTIMATED ONLY A QUARTER OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
JOBS ARE HELD BY WOMEN AND WOMEN OF COLOR ARE EVEN MORE
UNDER REPRESENTED. THE KEY TO CLOSING THE GAP IS
CATCH STUDENTS INTEREST WHILE THEY ARE
YOUNG WITH SUPPORTIVE PROGRAMS AND MENTORING.
OUR NEXT GUEST WILL HELP YOU DO JUST THAT THROUGH THEIR
FEMALE-CENTRIC CLUBS
AND COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS. GIRLS FROM ELEMENTARY TO HIGH
SCHOOL WILL LEARN TO WRITE COMPUTER PROGRAMS THAT
GENERATE ART SHOWING THEM THE CREATIVE POSSIBLITIES OF CODING.
HERE TO SHARE MORE IS CODE/ART CEO AMY RENSHAW AND SARAH
BLEACHER. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY, WE APPRECIAITE IT.
SO LETS STAR WITH WHAT IS CODE/ART? SO AT CODE ART
WE USE THE CREATIVE SIDE OF COMPUTING TO INSPIRE GIRLS TO INTO
COMPUTER SCIENCE. WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
THE NUMBER OF WOMEN GOING INTO COMPUTER SCIENCE HAS BEEN
DROPPING SINCE THE 1980S. 40% OF GRADUATES WERE FEMALES
AND TODAY ONLY 18% ARE WOMEN. EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE A HALF
MILLION UNFILLED JOBS IN COMPUTING AND THEY ARE GROWING
AT FOUR TIMES THE RATE OF OTHER JOBS AND THEY PAY AS
ALMOST DOUBLE. THE OTHER AVERAGE JOBS COMING FROM UNDERGRAD.
AND IT'S FUN. TELL ME ABOUT THAT?
I WENT TO SCHOOL FOR FILMMAKING.
I ENDED UP IN COMPUTER SCIENCE BY ACCIDENT. WHEN I GOT INTO
THE FIELD I ENDED UP MADE
WEBSITES AND IT WAS THE MOST WONDERFUL AND CREATIVE THING
I COULD HAVE DONE. I SPENT 16 YEARS DOING IT AND
LOVED IT. WHEN I MET AMY AND FOUND OUT
THE CURRICULUM IS GEARED TOWARDS SOMEONE MATH ORIENTED
AND LOGICAL AND NOT TOWARDS ME AND I HAD THIS EXPERIENCE
WHERE MY CAREER WAS SO SUCCESSFUL AND SO FUN I WAS LIKE
WE HAVE TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT. AMY’S CURRICULAM IS JUST THAT.
THE CODE/ART CURRICULAM SHOWS GIRLS THE CREATIVE SIDE OF CODING
AND SHOWS THEM THAT COMPUTER SCIENCE COULD BE FOR THEM.
TELL ME ABOUT WHAT THE CURRICULUM IS LIKE THAT'S NOT
ATTRACTIVE TO GIRLS. WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
WITH THE CURRENT CURRICULUM?
YES. I GUESS A SORT PROBLEM WOULD BE THE TYPICAL
FIRST THING. GENERATE HELLO WORLD WHICH IS KIND OF OK.
TELL US WHAT THAT IS. YOU GET THE COMPUTER TO SAY
HELLO, WORLD. YOU WRITE A PROGRAM THAT DOES THAT.
AND THAT'S ALL IT DOES. THE FIRST FOUR LESSONS AT
CODE ART THE FIRST ONE IS TO CODE YOUR SELF-PORTRAIT.
WE TEACH YOU TO MAKE A PORTRAIT OF YOURSELVES.
THE GIRLS DO IT AND THEY MAKE PORTRAITS OF THEMSELVES
DOING THINGS THAT THEY LOVE. WITH THEIR PETS.
THEY LEARNED ALL OF THE BASICS THROUGH COMPUTER SCIENCE
LOOPS, VARIABLES, ALL THAT'S PART OF COMPUTER SCIENCE.
WE HAVE ANOTHER LESSON WERE THAT DO A KALEIDOSCOPE AND
TAKE CRAYONS AND MAKE THEIR OWN CRAYONS AND DRAW ON THE
SCREEN. WHAT THEY SEE IS TECHNOLOGY IS
NOT FOR BOYS. IT'S A WAY FOR THEM TO DO
WHATEVER THEY HAVE IN THEIR MINDS TO CREATE.
YOU WERE SAYING, OWE KNOW, WE HEAR ABOUT CODING CLASSES
FOR KIDS YOUNGER AND YOUNGER AND THEY ARE A GEARED TOWARDS
BOYS. THEY ARE MAKING A BIG PUSH
TO PUT COMPUER SCIENCE IT IN MIDDLE AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THEY PUT IT DURING LIBRARY TIME.
THE GIRLS AND BOYS GET TWO ONE HOURS OF CODE OR FOUR ONE HOURS OF
CODE DURING THE YEAR.
THEY ARE ANGRY BIRD ORIENTED OR THEY ARE ABOUT SHOOTING
GAMES. THEY ARE ABOUT THINGS WERE YOU
USE NUMBERS TO CREATE IT. THEY DON'T HAVE A MOMENT WERE
YOU GET TO BE EXPRESSIVE AND EXPLORE CODING.
DO ALL OF THESE STEPS TO GET THESE RESULTS.
AS OPPOSED TO HERE IS A SET OF TOOLS AND CREATE FLOWERS,
KALEIDOSCOPES, CREATE YOUR SELF-PORTRAIT AND THE
GIRLS CAN GET INVESTED AND SEE WHO THEY ARE. A PORTRAIT OF THEM
PLAYING SOCCER. OUR FINALIST FOR CODE/ART
MIAMI HER FAVORITE THING WAS TO SLEEPING.
HER PORTRAIT WAS OF HER WITH A CAT.
SHE BECAME CONNECTED AND REALIZED COMPUTER SCIENCE IS
JUST LIKE A BOOK. IT'S A MEANS TO COMMUNICATE
IDEAS. WHAT WORRIES ME IS WE HAVE A
SYSTEM SET UP THAT ATTRACTS BOYS AND NOT ONE FOR GIRLS.
ALL OF THE JOBS WILL HAVE A TECHNOLOGY COMPONENT. OUR
GIRLS ARE GOING TO BE SECOND IN LINE FOR JOBS THAT ARE
HIGH PAYING, THEY ARE CREATIVE.
WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR BABIES YOU CAN GO PART-TIME FROM HOME.
THERE WAS SO MUCH I GOT OUT OF IT PERSONALLY AND AMY IS ABLE
TO SHOW THESE YOUNG GIRLS SO THEY CAN HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITIES. THE DOOR STAYS OPEN.
AT 12 YEARS OLD THEY SAY THAT'SN'T FEEL RIGHT. WELL CODE ART
IS OUT THERE THEY CREATE ONE TIME PROGRAMS
AND CLUBS. WE HAVE AN AMAZING EVENT
THAT'S INCREDIBLE. IT'S WORKSHOPS AND
INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKERS. WHEN THE GIRLS COME THERE THEY
REALIZE AND SEE OTHER PEOPLE LIKE THEM AND INTERACT WITH
THE TECHNOLOGY IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
THEY ARE CREATIVE WITH IT. IF YOU WANT TO GET A GIRL
INTERESTED IN COMPUTER SCIENCE MAKE IT SOCIAL.
FAMILIES MIGHT BE SAYING OH, THAT'S GREAT FOR MY
DAUGHTER. HOW DO THEY FIND YOU? YOU ARE PARTNERING WITH
SCHOOLS, CORRECT. FOR SOME CLUBS THE BIG
EVENT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT AT U.M. BEFORE THAT WE WERE
AT M. D.C. ONE CLUB WE PARTERRED WITH
F.I.U. THE SCHOOLS WE CURRENTLY HAVE PROGRAMS AT ARE NORTH
DADE MIDDLE CLOSE TO HERE. YOUNG WOMEN'S PREP ACADEMY.
WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THERE. WE HAVE A WEEKLY AFTER-SCHOOL
PROGRAM AND A MONTHLY PROGRAM WITH ALL 400 OF THEIR STUDENTS
WHERE WE BRING IN 30 COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENTS FROM FIU THAT ARE PAID
INTERNS TO TEACH OUR LESSONS.
ALL OF THOSE GIRLS GET A LITTLE BIT OF CODING EVERY YEAR.
WE ARE ALSO AT I PREP ACADEMY RIGHT NOW.
ONE THING I HAVE BEEN HEARING BECAUSE I'M OUT THERE
TALKING TO PEOPLE AND TELLING THEM THE GOOD WORD ABOUT
CODING. MIDDLE SCHOOLS ARE INTERESTED
BUT FUNDING IS AN ISSUE. IF WE GET MORE FUNDING WE CAN DO MORE PROGRAMS.
OR IF YOU WANT IT IN YOUR SCHOOL TELL YOUR PTA ABOUT CODE ART AND
THEY CAN FUND IT AND WE'LL SHOW UP TO TEACH A COURSE FROM SIX WEEKS TO
ALL YEAR. WE WANT TO BE WHEREVER WE CAN
BE. IT'S UP TO THE PARENTS TO
DEMAND IT. AND THEY KNOW ITS IMPORTANT NOW.
I KNOW YOU ARE EXCITED BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOME GREAT
FUNDING. MICROSOFT PAID ATTENTION. YES, WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT
THE NEW PROGRAM WE LAUNCHED TODAY WITH FUNDING FROM MICROSOFT AND THE
KNIGHT FOUNDATION. WE'LL PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT TO 60 MIDDLE SCHOOL ART TEACHERS.
THE GIRLS AND BOYS WILL LEARN COMPUTING TOGETHER IN THE ART
ROOM. AGAIN, WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP
WITH FIU WE'LL PAIR FIU COMPUTER SCIENCE IN TERMS WITH
THE ART TEACHERS TO HELP THEM THROUGH THE COMPUTING PART OF
IT, SO ITS NOT SO INTIMIDATING. THE GOAL IS TO HAVE STUDENTS
THEN GO ON AND CREATE MORE AND SUBMIT TO OUR ANNUAL
COMPETITION. THROUGH THE COMPETITION, IT CREATES A FEEDBACK LOOP.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU YOU BOTH FOR LETTING US KNOW ABOUT
THE GREAT WORK YOU ARE DOING. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CODE ART
AND THEIR PROGRAM VISIT CODE-ART.COM .
WE'LL HAVE THIS LINK AND MORE ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AS WELL.