Lifting the Barriers

Being evenhanded and trying to recruit all genders equally isn’t going to solve the dearth of women in technology. We need dedicated recruiting efforts targeted at young women.

Violent games and sports focused challenges are one contributing factor that drives girls away from programming. When removing these male-oriented themes, be careful to not swing too hard the other direction with course materials around makeup or dresses.

The author suggests selecting topics equally applicable to all students such as a challenge to build a database of pop music artists.

When you only recruit girls from STEM classes, you’re missing most of the population. Yes, girls in advanced math classes may be the most receptive but that’s preaching to the choir.

As an educator and recruiter, you need the courage to recruit girls in places that will yield lower conversion rates but have potential for a greater absolute effect.

Young women have too few examples to follow. It’s hard to see the path forward.

Look around you for women in technology and ask them to speak directly with students.

Many parents of girls and other underrepresented groups in technology simply don’t know about the drastic increases in salary and career stability associated with tech.

When presented with salary and career information, along with a path to action, many parents and girls take the first step toward a STEM education and career.

Many girls feel intimidated at programming events like hackathons and coding challenges. Explicitly asking them to invite a friend increases turnout rate and satisfaction.

Rather than authoring a course like “Introduction to Python” try something like “Build a Website of Adoptable Dogs with Python.”