Emily Mackle

As computer science is a field largely dominated by men, many women feel intimidated entering this discipline. Enrolment of females in bachelor degree programs for computer science is often limited, so the number of women that emerge in tech-related fields is marginally lower. In the past several years, more and more resources have been allocated to empower women to learn coding skills and provide a sense of community for women in this male-dominated industry. The field of computer science has become a stellar choice for schooling, because of the growing demand in the job market for developers and individuals with specialized technical knowledge. 

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There are numerous organizations and online resources that are trying to change the disproportionate ratio of women to men in tech. The following is a list of exemplary North American resources which support women in learning code, by providing mentorship and enabling professional relationships with field experts.

Ladies Learning Code

Ladies Learning Code is a not-for-profit organization in Canada that teaches beginner-friendly technical skills in a collaborative environment. Their workshops are executed with a hands-on approach and led by female mentors in the field. I recently had the experience of participating in a workshop led by Ladies Learning Code in Montréal, where I learned how to use WordPress (a web template and content management system). The mentors were exceptionally helpful and encouraging and instilled confidence in the participants.

Chic Geek

Chic Geek is an organization based out of Calgary, Alberta, whose mission is to create more diversity in the tech and start-up world and also provide strong female role models. Their intent is to create personal and professional relationships through which women can find the confidence to build technical skills and enter the field.

Girl Develop It

Girl Develop It has numerous chapters across North America and their objective is to increase accessibility to programs that teach software development. The organization helps women in learning how to build web and mobile applications. They aim to inspire technical confidence in all women, regardless of age, race, education level or socioeconomic status.

I’ve discovered a few other exceptional online resources for teaching coding skills. While these programs are not specifically female-oriented, they are great for instilling confidence in beginners.

Codecademy

Codecademy is an interactive web platform that provides coding instruction in six different programming languages including JavaScript, Python, PHP, jQuery, Ruby, and also markup languages like HTML and CSS. The classes are free and it takes you through the stages step-by-step.

Code School

Code School is an online educational platform which teaches coding through video tutorials, coding challenges and interactive exercises. Their aim is to make learning code fun and they provide instruction according to ‘paths’ such as Ruby, JavaScript, HTML/CSS and iOS. You can also choose to explore ‘electives’, which teach fun tech skills and enhance your development prowess.

The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to learning code. There are so many job opportunities because tech has become ingrained as a part of our everyday lives through our cell phones, computers and other devices. Individuals ultimately benefit from enhancing their tech skills, in that they are better able to leverage the tools we use on a daily basis. Learning to code can allow you to have a tremendous impact upon society at large, through the development of a popular website, helpful database, trending app or the implementation of your own tech business. Don’t be afraid to learn how to code!

 

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