Change begins at home. Many first generation disadvantaged immigrants to this country do not attend college, which means their children do not have adequate guidance on pursing higher-level education. The community can come together to provide help to these children with code camps. This past summer, a Young Women in Tech code camp was held in Columbus for members of the Bhutanese-Nepali Refugee Community. More than a dozen experts in technology volunteered to teach girls aged 13-17 about computer programming, accessibility, user-centered design processes, cyber security, Photoshop, software development and desktop management. The volunteers taught the girls about the extensive career options within technology, with each volunteer focusing on their respective area of expertise. The training was supplemented by college admissions officers providing education guidance and a course on resume building. The entire camp was sponsored by a local community college with financial support for meals, equipment, and clothing provided by local businesses.
In this session, the audience will learn how to uplift the next generation of leaders through supplemental training opportunities outside of school. The audience will be shown how to organize a code camp locally, from securing facilities for training, to financial support, to soliciting volunteer teachers in technology.