Today, the Girl Scouts of USA announced their first-ever computer science program for middle and high school girls. Sponsored by cyber security and defense company Raytheon, the program will focus on educating girls from 6-12 grade in fields such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, robotics, and data science. The necessity for these kinds of programs is growing on what feels like a daily basis. In addition to the thousands computer science jobs without qualified candidates hitting the market, girls continue to be dissuaded from entering the field due to discriminatory practices and a lack of opportunities. In fact, a study found that 74 percent of teen girls are interested in STEM fields, but numbers fade as they get older for the aforementioned reasons. It’s time to set aside petty squabbles and realize that the skills gap needs closing. Women and girls deserve a chance to shine in these fields and programs like this will provide them with the early interest and future infrastructure they need to be set up for success in the long run.
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