Summer Immersion Program Washington, DC June 24 - August 12, 2015
To empower more young women to pursue degrees and careers in Science,Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields, BSA | The Software Alliance, along with Lockheed Martin and Georgetown University sponsored
the Washington, DC, area’s inaugural Girls Who Code Summer Immersion
Program. The Girls Who Code program, which kicked off June 24, brought 60
young women from throughout the DC region to Georgetown University’s
downtown campus for seven weeks of intensive instruction in computing
skills, ranging from mobile app development to web design to robotics.
In addition to learning to code, students heard from influential
industry leaders and government officials inside the classroom, and took
field trips around DC to meet with leaders in technology and government.
The Summer Immersion Program also included informal mentorship
opportunities focusing on career and educational development, where
students were paired with leading female executives from the DC area.
BSA and Girls Who Code Featured on PBS:
Program Highlights:
June 24, 2015
Open House
We kicked off the inaugural Girls Who Code DC program
with an event at the Georgetown University School of
Continuing Studies for the girls and their families.
July 1, 2015
Speaker: Fred Humphries, VP, U.S. Government Affairs,
Microsoft
Fred Humphries stopped by the Girls Who Code classroom
to share his experiences and learn about their
curriculum.
July 1, 2015
Speaker: Anne Kornblut, Assoc. Editor, Washington
Post
Anne Kornblut visited the Girls Who Code classroom to
talk about her career path and answer questions from the
girls.
July 7, 2015
Speaker: Rich Rothberg, SVP & General Counsel,
Dell
Rich Rothberg spoke to the girls about his career path
and the importance of having faith in one’s
abilities. Dell also provided the laptops the girls are
using this summer.
The BSA classroom visited Capitol Hill to talk about
STEM, meeting with a number of Congresswomen, including
Senator Tammy Baldwin, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, and
Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
July 22, 2015
Speaker: Dr. Phyllis Schneck, Under Secretary for
Cybersecurity, Department of Homeland Security
After learning about cybersecurity issues earlier in the
day, the girls were enthralled with Dr. Phyllis
Schneck’s presentation about the importance of
privacy and security when developing technologies.
July 24, 2015
Mentorship Day
The girls met with a number of female role models from
across the tech industry to learn about the wide variety of
technical career paths that they might pursue. The day
ended with an ice cream social sponsored by Microsoft.
At the White House, the girls were inspired by some of
the top women in tech and government, including speakers
from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the White
House Council on Women and Girls, and the White House
Office of Public Engagement. Valerie Jarrett stopped by for
a surprise visit!
The seven-week program came to an end with a ceremony
held at Georgetown University. Michelle Lee, director of
the United States Patent and Trade Office, delivered an
inspiring keynote address. The girls presented their final
projects, including apps, games, and a moisture-sensing
plant-watering device! The girls then received certificates
of completion and celebrated with friends and family.
Congratulations to all of the participants!