Virginia Beach-based non-profit Goodgirls Write Code received a $10,000 grant from The Verizon Foundation and Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms in support of the organization’s mission to empower young girls and encourage their interest in STEM education.
The grant will provide female students from kindergarten through 12th grade with access to computer science education so they may gain the technical skills needed to become the next powerful generation of innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs in the STEM career field. The grant will also allow Goodgirls Write Code to expand the number of computer science programs and instructor trainings available at Title I schools throughout Hampton Roads.
“Unfortunately, there is still a divide that inhibits the access of young girls to essential STEM education and training programs. This grant by The Verizon Foundation will support Goodgirls Write Code in bridging this gap locally and help our young people compete globally for more advanced education and career opportunities,” said Mayor Sessoms.
Left: Sasha Oppleman, founder and CEO of Goodgirls Write Code; Colleen Kurtzner and Elizabeth Mayo, Verizon Wireless; Douglas Brammer, Verizon Foundation; Right: Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms, Goodgirls Write Code graduates from Deana Hubbell’s class at Windsor Oaks Elementary School in Virginia Beach.
Sasha Oppleman, the founder and CEO of Goodgirls Write Code, stated that her organization’s partnership with The Verizon Foundation is based on the principle that girls of all backgrounds should have equal access to computer science education, as basic technical skills are becoming increasingly necessary in nearly every modern industry.
Goodgirls Write Code believes that teaching young girls computer science programming skills not only improves their problem-solving skills and helps them gain a better understanding of cause and effect relationship, but also boosts self-confidence. The long-term goal of Goodgirls Write Code is to cure the deficiency of female workers in STEM-related careers across the United States.