Summer Coding Camp for Girls Launched

The first Society of Women Coders Camp for Girls was launched this morning and the aim is to engage the intellectual curiosity of Belize’s young women and provide an atmosphere for learning a skill which can develop their appetite for information technology. The camp will run for two weeks in Belize and Belmopan and is expected to see the participation of ninety students. The Society of Women Coders, a non-profit organization based in New York, aims to encourage the ninety students to opt for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics by conducting free coding and information camps. Co-Founder of the organization, Kavya Krishna, says that the camp is designed to bring together high school aged girls to learn the fundamentals of computer programming. The camp was launched this afternoon at Gwen Lizarraga High School.

Louis Mortis

Louis Mortis, Principal, Gwen Lizarraga High School 

“There exists a gap for qualified service providers within the informational and technology service industry. Our education system is syllabi driven, and extensive deviation of such is difficult. A workshop of this nature is a valuable bridge to the gap that exists between what is thought in the classroom and what is needed in the workplace.”

Kavya Krishna

Kavya Krishna, Co-Founder, Society of Women Coders

“It is through three major metrics, exposure, motivation and retention. What we are doing here, the on the ground training is part of our exposure metric which means the number of girls that we reach in a year. Motivation is the number of girls that sign up for our mentorship program after this camp. And retention is the number of girls who choose a career in IT, or further education in IT or incorporate IT in their lives in whatever form they want.”

Tracey Taegar-Panton

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Minister of State, Investment, Trade and Commerce

“Gain as much knowledge as you can and learn to explore about places and people you may never know or you may never visit. Technology can be an important link in understanding new cultures and ways of life.”