Inspiring Women in CS

We all know there is a shortage of women and girls in computer science. Although there has been significant improvement in the last few years, 2020 data continue to confirm this understanding. Unfortunately, the numbers are even lower for women and girls of color.

Some organizations have taken the lead to empower and inspire young women to become creators, innovators, and leaders in computer science. And some organizations are providing educators with tools and supports to help increase the number of young women in the CS classroom. A nice example of this is the National Center for Women & Information Technology’s (NCWIT) Top 10 Ways of Recruiting High School Women into Your Computing Class.

As a CS educator, how do you empower and encourage women and girls to become designers of their own paths? How do you promote the unleashing of potential in their imaginations, support their dreams, and cultivate their creativity as well as allow them to venture and discover the unknown in computer science?

February and March are when we celebrate Black History Month (February), Women’s History Month (March), and International Women’s Day (March 8). During this time, consider reflecting on the contributions of women, especially women of color, who have changed the CS landscape. You can start by participating in my Inspiring Women in CS Stories activity. Think about women who have made a significant contribution in advocating for computer science (this could be you!) and in the comments section below:

● Introduce yourself

● Share how you got started in CS

● Share your CS passions

● What impact have they/you had on students, educators, and the community?

● What bridges have they/you made in CS?

Feel free to include a picture or an image of their/your work and, most importantly, invite other women in CS to visit this blog post and share their stories!

CS for All Teachers Community Ambassador Vanessa Jones is a Technology Design Specialist for the Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas. She is also a CSTA 2021-2022 Equity Fellow and facilitates Code.org's CS Fundamentals and CS Discoveries programs. In addition, Vanessa is an online facilitator and course designer for the University of Texas at Austin’s Strategies for Effective and Inclusive Computer Science Teaching (SciPs) course.