A Letter to the CoderChicks

By: Deepika Kannan

Dear CoderChicks,

Welcome to our online hub! We are an organization with the goal of getting more girls interested in using computer science for social good. You can explore our blog to learn about various STEM topics. We also host workshops and hackathons with girls from underrepresented communities. I’m so glad you’re here!

My name is Deepika, and I founded CoderChicks because it’s something I wish I had when I was younger – a community of like-minded, passionate girls dedicated to helping and encouraging me to get out of my comfort zone. CoderChicks also focuses on using computer science for social good, because that’s the main purpose of CS– to help others.

Here’s the thing–there aren’t a lot of us out there. When I was thirteen, I attended a computer science camp at a local university. When I walked in, there were only 5 other girls, and I felt out of place.I probably would have never come back, if it weren’t for my mother who motivated me not to give up. “For the past 20 years I’ve been working, I’ve always been the only female software developer. You have to be your own mentor and leader in CS jobs,” I remember her telling me. I ended up learning a lot from the camp (I even made my own video games!) which motivated me to do more with my new skills.

Similarly, when I participated on my school’s robotics team, I noticed that only boys were in control of programming, and my teammates only listened to their ideas. I felt the same way when was the only girl at a programming club–and don’t even get me started on boys trying to “mansplain” my own science fair project to me!

That’s why it’s important that us girls work together, especially in STEM settings, to provide each other a community of women for support, mentorship, and encouragement. This is extremely important if we want out our voices to be heard in the tech field. Right now, only 10.7% of computer hardware jobs are held by women. Together, we can narrow the gap by giving girls the technical skills, project experience, and confident leadership they need. Together, we can change these numbers. Together, we can code to change the world.

You can navigate the website to learn more about our mission and get involved, and I’d love to hear what you think! You can email me at coderchicks.info@gmail.com.

Here’s to a future filled with empowered women leaders in tech!

Love,

Deepika Kannan