OAKLAND, Calif., April 23, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Black Girls CODE, dedicated to teaching girls of color ages 7-17 about computer programming and technology, and creating our next generation of leaders, announced today it has opened its Seattle Chapter, which represents the organization’s 15th market.
Media are invited to attend the organization’s Community Kickoff Event to be held on Thursday, April 25, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Galvanize Seattle, Pioneer Square, 111 S. Jackson St., Seattle, in the underground event space, and can register here.
The opening will include introduction to the Seattle chapter leaders as well as an overview of the organization’s plans for the region, tech demos, a panel discussion made up of Black Girls CODE alumnae, and an opportunity to register girls for an upcoming hands-on workshop or to volunteer for a Seattle Chapter event in the future.
“The excitement with which the BGC Seattle Chapter launch has been received demonstrates the enormous need for programs to educate girls of color in STEM disciplines and to build our next generation of leaders,” said Kimberly Bryant, Founder, and CEO of Black Girls CODE. “We thank Microsoft for its generous support and look forward to working with other Seattle leaders to continue building our reach in this region and beyond.”
On Friday, April 26, a private event will be held on the Microsoft campus. Bryant and Mary Snapp, Corporate Vice President and Lead of Microsoft Philanthropies will welcome the group. This will be followed by a keynote presentation given by a BGC tech diva and a panel discussion that will include Bryant and Tina Eskridge, Microsoft’s Senior Director - Inclusion Marketing.
“As a company, we are excited to partner with Black Girls Code to help them establish a Seattle-based chapter to ensure girls from more communities of color have opportunities to learn computer science,” said Snapp. “Building on Microsoft’s long-term commitment and responsibility to help ensure every young person has access to computer science education, we look forward to seeing girls embrace the art and creativity of computers and be the builders, inventors, problem-solvers and computer scientists solving tomorrow’s challenges.”
The Seattle Chapter launch event follows three successful pop-up workshops held on Saturday, March 30, where girls built and programmed a robot and circuits using block-based programming and/or JavaScript. The workshops gave girls the opportunity to code and create in real time.
To learn more about Black Girls CODE, the Seattle opening, or ways to get involved, visit: www.blackgirlscode.com/.
About Black Girls CODE
Since 2011, Black Girls CODE has been committed to providing girls from underrepresented community’s access to technology and 21st century skills necessary to become tech leaders. Having reached more than 8,000 young women in 14 chapters around the world, Black Girls CODE’s organizational vision is to increase the number of women of color in the digital space by empowering girls of color ages 7 to 17 to become innovators in STEM fields, and builders of their own futures through exposure to computer science and technology. http://www.blackgirlscode.com
Press Contact:
Ari Brosowsky
UPRAISE Marketing + PR for Black Girls CODE
T: 415.397.7600
E: ari@upraisepr.com