Last month, Capitol Technology University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the District of Columbia chapter of Black Girls CODE, an organization that support girls’ involvement in STEM fields. In addition to this partnership, Capitol Tech is hosting a Black Girls CODE Cyber Event on July 25.
“We are incredibly happy to create and build upon this partnership with Black Girls CODE,” said Bradford Sims, President of Capitol Technology University. “Capitol’s primary mission is to educate students interested in STEM fields and provide them with a hands-on, real-world education which aligns with Black Girls CODE’s mission to increase the percentage of young, female, black students in STEM fields. Together, Capitol Tech and Black Girls CODE will be able to positively affect the lives of many young students and create numerous opportunities for deserving young women.”
Through this agreement members of this chapter of Black Girls CODE will have access to Capitol Tech’s professional development events including Cyber Saturday, Women in Cyber (WiCyS) programming, WiCyS in Critical Infrastructure, and the CapTechTalks webinar series. Black Girls CODE members will also be able to access institutional scholarships such as the Cyber Scholarship and the organization will also be able to use the campus’ facilities to organize events for 50 or less people.
“By launching Black Girls Code, I hope[d] to provide young and pre-teen girls of color opportunities to learn in-demand skills in technology and computer programming at a time when they are naturally thinking about what they want to be when they grow up,” said electrical engineer and founder of Black Girls Code, Kimberly Bryant, on the Black Girls Code website. “That, really, is the Black Girls Code mission: to introduce programming and technology to a new generation of coders, coders who will become builders of technological innovation and of their own futures. Imagine the impact that these curious, creative minds could have on the world with the guidance and encouragement others take for granted.”
Black Girls CODE introduces girls in primary and secondary school to lessons and training on how to code using popular languages through after-school and summer programs. As of 2013, the non-profit organization has reportedly reached over 3,000 students, established 7 institutions, operated in nearly 10 U.S. states, and worked internationally with a community in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Click here for more information on Black Girls CODE and its founder, Kimberly Bryant.