44°
The DigiGirlz event welcomed young women of all ages for an introduction to computer science professionals and fundamentals, to empower them to explore career paths and get a better sense of the world of opportunities that exist within the tech industry, such as coding, according to the event's organizers.
It featured profiles of real-world DigiGirlz, a panel of accomplished females in computer sciences, and an hour of Minecraft Code Workshop, which demonstrated the fundamentals of coding.
"If you had told me when I was in high school I would be working in technology, I would have told you you're crazy,” said Mirchandani. “Now I can't imagine doing anything else! My best advice to young women is take everything; all the math, science, art, everything you can. You never know where you'll end up and many of the most interesting jobs don't even exist yet!"
DigiGirlz is a global initiative that was launched in 2000 as a part of Microsoft’s YouthSpark, with the objective to increase access for all young people to learn computer science, and to create educational, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for young people around the world, especially girls and people from under-represented backgrounds, according to a release from Microsoft.
“You all should know that computer science isn’t just for boys,” said Migela Evans, support engineer for Microsoft. “It’s actually a really social and fun activity that lets you create really cool things like websites, apps, social media platforms, and more …
"Some women build medical technology, others create apps like Instagram or SnapChat, and others work in social change organizations. Right now there aren’t enough girls in the tech world, and that means the world is missing out on some of our awesome perspectives and ideas.”
Through partnerships with governments, nonprofit organizations and businesses, YouthSpark seeks to provide computer science education to young people in their communities and prepare them with the computational-thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for success in an increasingly digital world, the release said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Yorktown and receive free news updates.
