It is no secret that there is a gender imbalance in the tech industry, which is precisely why a non-profit organization called Ladies Learning Code is working to challenge the status quo. What began with a simple tweet about the frustrations of learning to code, has quickly become a national movement to increase digital literacy for Canadians and to close the gender gap in technology.
Ladies Learning Code initially started with a tweet by Heather Payne about how there had to be a better way for women to learn to code. In turn, she teamed up with Laura Plant, Melissa Sariffodeen, and Breanna Hughes, to launch a beginner-friendly workshop for women interested in learning JavaScript. That first workshop held back in 2011 sold out in a single day and since then, Ladies Learning Code has hosted more than 1,000 workshops, expanded to more than 29 cities across the country, and taught 60,000 learners to code. In fact, the organization is now the largest non-profit in Canada offering beginner-friendly tech education for women and girls, and has even had the honor of teaching Prime Minster Justin Trudeau how to code.
Today, Ladies Learning Code has built a strong reputation for helping women and youth become passionate builders of technology -- and not just passive consumers -- by learning technical skills in a supportive learning environment. This is done through hands-on workshops for women that teach skills in a collaborative and social way. For younger attendees, Ladies Learning Code also hosts youth programs such as Girls Learning Code for eight to 13-year-old girls, and the co-ed Kids Learning Code program for boys and girls of the same age. These programs are not only educational, but they also run on a pay-what-you can model, making them accessible to youth from all backgrounds.
Beyond workshops, the organization has also founded National Learn to Code Day and Girls Learning Code Day, which are national movements that aim to increase digital literacy for Canadians, and to ultimately close the gender gap in technology. Ladies Learning Code has even launched Canada's first coding truck, which has been dubbed the 'code:mobile.'
With a dedicated team made up almost entirely of volunteers, Ladies Learning Code is helping to pioneer the digital literacy movement across communities by empowering women and youth with the technical skills needed for future opportunities.
This post is sponsored by Ladies Learning Code.
Female-Centric Tech Programs
'Ladies Learning Code' Offers Tech Education for Women and Girls
Trend Themes
1. Increasing Digital Literacy - The Ladies Learning Code movement is increasing digital literacy for Canadians and closing the gender gap in technology.
2. Empowering Women and Girls in Tech - Ladies Learning Code is empowering women and girls by providing them with technical skills in a supportive learning environment.
3. Accessible Youth Tech Education - Ladies Learning Code's pay-what-you-can model makes tech education accessible to youth from all backgrounds.
Industry Implications
1. Tech Education - The Ladies Learning Code movement has disrupted the tech education industry by providing beginner-friendly workshops and programs for women and girls to learn coding.
2. Non-profit Organizations - Ladies Learning Code is disrupting the non-profit industry by pioneering the digital literacy movement and empowering women and youth through its volunteer-based initiatives.
3. Gender-inclusive Tech - Ladies Learning Code is disrupting the tech industry by actively working to close the gender gap in technology and promoting an inclusive tech culture.