The computer science field lacks women. In the United States, women only earn 18% of computer science bachelor’s degrees. In fact, women now hold a lower share of computer science jobs than they did in the 1980s. Somewhere along the way, we started to go backwards. So what can we do now, to make up for lost time, to make sure that female representation is reinstated into this male-dominated, lucrative industry?
I was fortunate enough to discuss the necessary steps needed in combating this gender gap with Helena Suric, one of the powerful women behind Kode With Klossy—“a non-profit focused on creating learning experiences and opportunities for young women that increase their confidence and inspire them to pursue their passions in a technology driven world.” With roots at Vogue magazine, Helena went on to become the Head Partnerships and Communications Director at Kode With Klossy where she is one of many women leading the free, two-week coding camps for young women ages 13-18 in cities across the country.
Kode with Klossy is thoroughly empowering. Not only is the team of women behind it a visible group of role models, with notably Karlie Kloss as the founder, each camp they hold is a distinct community of mainly female instructors and instructor’s assistants, inspiring the next generation of girls. To tackle the gender gap in STEAM, Kode With Klossy takes on three essential components: education, inspiration, and community.
With free camps all over the country, from Los Angeles to New York City and Detroit to Dallas, young girls are able to learn computer science languages such as JavaScript and Swift—even without prior experience. The ability for these girls to code a website or an app in simply two weeks reveals that it isn’t the skill that they lack, but oftentimes exposure to a computer science class in their school’s curriculum. Helena tells me that Kode With Klossy scholars, which is what they call the camp participants, have “created apps that better serve homeless people in their community, help users find gender neutral bathrooms and to help bridge the college access divide to name a few.” Just by becoming geared up with the technical knowledge of coding languages through “a fun and hands-on curriculum”, these girls reveal how their coding powers have led them to create boundless and truly enterprising societal change.
“I’m inspired everyday by our Kode With Klossy community. Seeing our scholars grow their skills in code, find new passions and increase their self confidence is what continues to drive me forward…I can’t wait to see what this [year’s] group of scholars accomplish and create with their new skillset.”
– Karlie Kloss, founder of Kode With Klossy
Although it is the first and quite essential step for girls to gain technical knowledge in order to enter the computer science industry, it is equally important for them to find the motivation and passion to enter the industry. Helena explains, “While increasing access to computer science education for young women is one piece of the puzzle we need to solve, we also strongly believe in the power of role models…By showing young women that a career in technology is accessible and possible, we hope to encourage them to pursue their own passions in STEAM.” At the Kode With Klossy camps, female speakers come in from companies such as Adidas and SAP to talk about their experiences, work responsibilities, and how they got where they are. Seeing that there are women like them, of similar backgrounds and identities, who are established in STEAM, young girls are able to see the possibility of their own success.
But more than summer camp, Kode With Klossy is a community of girls and women connected by the same passion and mission. Helena says that Kode With Klossy is “a strong network of people who continuously support and encourage one another throughout the year — from our scholars teaming up to enter hackathons to our brand partners who offer internships to Kode With Klossy alum.” Once camp is over, scholars often leave with lifelong friends and connections that “help each other with questions about code, celebrate one another’s college acceptances and career milestones, and encourage each other to continue pursuing their passions.” Having such a strong backbone of a community is important because when trying to enter a male-dominated space, it’s easy to forget your worth and ability, but being constantly reminded that you have people you can lean on and that support you is something very sacred and fulfilling.
So why is it so important that women participate in computer science at all? Well, computer science is our future. With technological advancements being developed at unprecedented rates and technology serving an integral role in our day-to-day lives, “the demand and opportunity for people who know how to code increases. Ensuring that young women have the opportunity to learn this skill ensures that they will have a voice and say in our technology-driven future.” And coding is not as hard, or as inaccessible, or as boring as it may stereotypically be seen as. Code is the dynamic language of the future—one that can be learned by anyone and can create anything in any industry, from fashion to advocacy.
As it trains and empowers the next generation of girls, Kode With Klossy shapes a technological future as not only one of advancements but one of equality. Kode With Klossy is an incubator of talented, innovative girls and women—ready to take back the industry women have been excluded from for too long and transform it with their one-of-a-kind identities.
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