Nestled inside Google’s New York office is Black Girls CODE, an organization introducing young girls to computer programming.
Today, the organization opened a newly redesigned New York Tech Exploration Lab at the headquarters. The nonprofit also announced a new Board of Directors at the grand opening.
“We’ve been working with Google to improve diversity in the STEM industry since we were founded,” said Black Girls CODE CEO Kimberly Bryant in the news release. “Here we will hold workshops, host talks, and also provide after-school and summer programs for students eager to learn skills for building mobile apps, virtual reality games, and more.”
The innovative space is designed to look inside of a computer with the goal of engaging Black Girls CODE students around intimate experiences with new technologies used in workshops on subjects like game development, robotics, virtual reality, blockchain and more.
The ceiling looks like a motherboard, the floors have copper touch points, and there are lines of code on the wall, according to Fast Company.
Workshops will provide the student the opportunity to tinker with new gadgets. The lab will also host an after-school program and summer camp where participants can design virtual reality games, all in a space with walls decorated with graphics of deconstructed tech products.
“This new space will bring us one step closer to our goal of teaching 1 million girls to code by 2040,” Bryant said.
Since 2011, Black Girls CODE has been dedicated to helping girls from underrepresented communities access technology and gain skills to become tech leaders. The organization has worked with over 8,000 students in 14 chapters around the world.
At the grand opening, Bryant announced the organization’s new Board of Directors including Stacy Brown-Philpot, CEO of TaskRabbit, Jessie Wooley-Wilson, CEO and president of DreamBox Learning, and Heather Hiles, chair and CEO of Imminent Equity.
Check out the news release for the full list of Board of Directors.
