Google commits $50M to encouraging girls to code

Google’s $50 M for Made with Code Initiative

With all intent and purpose to bring along more women in the technology industry, Google has planned to fund in $50 million into it’s`Made with Code’, initiative and would want more women in technology, encouraging them to learn how to code, in an effort to give equal status to them.

Recently the company launched the Made with Code initiative with celebrities like the former first daughter Chelsea Clinton and the actress and comedienne Mindy Kaling. The event was emceed by Kaling who informed that she had a whole lot of ideas for apps but had no knowledge on how to make them work, which is the plight of several other women all over where most of them have no idea on how to build them up.

According to the Labour Department, only around 20% of software developers are women in the US with Google recently admitting that only 17% of its tech workers are women.

Made to Code Website Designed to Motivate Girls

This gender issue is a big problem for Google as well as several other technical companies, who may be in need of qualified engineers to enhance growth and innovation in their industry and Google who is keen on increasing these numbers in women is making headways in bringing about this change.

 Recently the company started the Made with Code website designed to motivate young girls in middle and high school to learn how to code and the company also announced about funding the project along with key partners like Girl Scouts of the USA and Girls Inc., for $50 million for the next three years.

Kaling who admits being famous stated that she had never written code and like many other women, she too was a outsider in the all-boys world and yet managed to find success. She further went on to relate that girls needed to be encouraged to become the next generation of coders because they needed to play bigger role in the tech-driven society.

Learn to Code Software

The concept of Google’s `Made with Code’, initiative is created to motivate them in getting them into role models to follow along with ideas on how computer coding can fit into their activities as well as interest which they love.

The website launched at the event also features many female engineers, entrepreneurs as well as artist, most of those who had used their knowledge of computer coding in order to pursue their careers in fashion, animation, cancer research, music, dance and much more. Besides this it also makes available Google’s free Blockly learn-to-code software which teaches in one lesson to design a bracelet which is then 3D printed by Shapeways.

The software also teaches how to create animated GIFs or even build beats for music track. Megan Smith, Google X Vice President informed that learning to code is like learning to read and the best way to learn is to be exposed to it. She also stated that encouragement at home and school is critical to inspiring girls to even try coding and further added that parents need not be techies to encourage a love of technology.