SWE Scholarships support those who identify as a female/woman and are pursuing an ABET-accredited bachelor or graduate student program in preparation for careers in engineering, engineering technology and computer science globally. In 2020, SWE disbursed nearly 260 new and renewed scholarships valued at more than $1,000,000! Applicants complete one application and are considered for all scholarships for which they are eligible.

In the early days of the pandemic, while patients in nursing homes were dying at an alarming rate, geriatric nurse practitioner Ashley Ritter was plagued by the same uncertainty around Covid-19 as the rest of us. Her patients at NewCourtland Services in Germantown had questions about this terrifying new illness; her colleagues at Penn had questions; her family and friends wanted answers. But mostly, she found what the rest of us did: Bits and pieces of science, mixed in with a lot of theory, panic and unproven advice. One source Ritter kept coming back to, though, was the Twitter feed of a colleague at the University of Pennsylvania, Alison Buttenheim, a behavioral scientist who specializes in infectious disease prevention and whose tweets shared the best science-backed information out there at the time. So Ritter, Buttenheim and Malia Jones, an epidemiologist at University of Wisconsin-Madison, started a Facebook page called Dear Pandemic, a source for easy-to-understand, science-backed Covid information written by a volunteer team of 12 women scientists from around the country and England, including five in Philly. The scientists call themselves “Those Nerdy Girls” and hail from a variety of research fields - epidemiology, immunology, mental health, demography, population science, behavioral science. Like Ritter, 11 of the 12 women have PhDs; three are also nurse practitioners; one is a medical doctor. Many were recruited by Ritter in the early days, as the initial group tried to find experts to answer particular questions and to keep up with the frenetic pace of information needing to be shared.

Girls Who Code's Virtual Summer Immersion Program (SIP) is a FREE, 2-week program for current 9th–11th grade students (rising sophomores, juniors and seniors), to learn about computer science, gain exposure to tech jobs, and join a supportive sisterhood of thousands of students around the world. The Virtual Summer Immersion Program is a 2-week virtual introductory computer science course for current 9th - 11th graders (rising sophomore, junior and senior girls and non-binary students). Students will learn how to apply computer science concepts to engaging projects during our virtual programming. The Virtual SIP will run for two weeks for up to four to five hours a day and will include a combination of both partner-sponsored and Girls Who Code virtual engagement opportunities. Each day, you log into your virtual classroom to attend daily instruction with the entire class, learn from your Teaching Team and practice concepts in smaller breakout groups.

In September 2018 - not long after Google removed its flippantly simple “don’t be evil” slogan from its code of conduct - artificial intelligence ethics researcher Timnit Gebru began working at the storied tech company. “There [were] so many red flags,” Gebru says. “I was fighting constant battles.” Barely more than two years later, Gebru was dismissed by Google. Her firing in December made waves across the tech industry, sparking conversations about diversity in tech and what an inclusive work environment does not look like. Though that conversation is evergreen in Silicon Valley, Gebru, a respected researcher, became the face of tech equity—and the shortcomings thereof. She’s spending the start of 2021 working on policy recommendations to address the industry’s diversity ills. But Gebru is also clear that none of those recommendations can replace tech company leaders taking responsibility for the culture in their workplaces and simultaneously working to change that culture.

The Girls Who Code Hiring Summit welcomes the Girls Who Code community of college students, recent graduates, and young professionals to network with companies looking to connect with a talented, ambitious, diverse group of technical students and professionals! Featuring mini-keynotes, a booth expo showcasing hiring partners, a student roundtable, and networking, the Hiring Summit will leave both hiring managers and job seekers with new connections, opportunities, and inspiration!

The Moderna vaccine has recently been approved, and Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett is one of the key scientists to thank. Read why visibility matters to her as a Black woman in this role.

Awards and scholarships provide visibility and recognition of the contributions of brilliant scientists. They also offer role models and encouragement to the next generation. These annual prizes support the professional development and advancement of AWIS members. Due to the generous support of the donors, AWIS has awarded over 30 scholarships in the last decade and awarded hundreds of grants to local AWIS chapters. The inaugural scholarship will be awarded in May 2021. Apply by February 28, 2021.

As mentors leave and schools continue remote learning, lifting up the future female worker requires thinking differently, says the CEO of Girls Who Code. Even with all the progress made in getting more women to study computer sciences, this next generation of girls may have it harder than others trying to jump into a tech career. As students continue remote learning, a lack of resources at home can make it nearly impossible to study properly and connect with teachers. And when women do enter the workforce, it will be harder to find female mentors as we emerge from the COVID-19 era. Multiple family demands in the pandemic are causing women to abandon the workforce four times the rate of men.

On Computer Science Education Week, we can join Jannie Fernandez from the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) and TECHNOLOchicas to talk about the impact of CS Ed Week over the years, how we can better support women –specifically Latina women – in technology, and what it means to have the first female vice president in United States history.

re:think, a thought leadership magazine from NCWIT, advocates for a more diverse, equal, and inclusive technology industry. Gain insights on inclusion from experts who guide our shifting culture, from technologists whose innovations undoubtedly impact our daily lives, and from change leaders who use their positions of influence to reveal the potential in everyone. It’s time to re:imagine the parts each of us play in creating a better future.