When Memphis, TN native, Kimberly Bryant, got her electrical engineering degree from Vanderbilt University, she noted that while she immersed herself in computer programming, many of her classmates didn’t look like her. In light of this, Bryant founded Black Girls Code, a program for girls of color to get programming and coding experience.
Founded a little over a year ago, the organization includes everything from robotics to Web development and computer coding languages. It offers weekend workshops on game development, HTML/CSS and basic programming concepts to name a few.
“We really try to give them a broad perspective of what the technology field is about and give them the skills to be able to tap into it,” Bryant said. “The lack of women in the technology space and the lack of people of color was something that was really glaring to me over and over again.”
Bryant, who has been in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) field for over 20 years, is proud to bring her program back home to Memphis and aims to have chapters in as many places as possible. The program will provide field trips to area tech companies so students can meet with industry professionals.
The Memphis chapter of Black Girls Code will hold its first workshop on February 16 in the Paul Barret Jr. Library at Rhodes College. Read the rest of the article on The Daily News and find out about events near you on the organizations’s website.
BMWK– Are any of your children into computer programming or Web development? What are your thoughts on programs like this one?