A 15-year-old Miller Place computer whiz is striving to expand coding opportunities for girls with the help of some major tech companies.
Lilah Lindemann, a junior at Miller Place High School whose interest in computers began in elementary school, said she noticed a gender gap among her female classmates when it came to participating in computer programs. Determined to narrow the gap, she recently enlisted the help of tech firms including Microsoft, Juni Learning and Zebra Technologies to host a free virtual workshop or “hackathon,” where attendees learned to code games and build apps. Girls Inc. of Long Island, a nonprofit that helps girls navigate gender, economic and social barriers, also helped organize the January event.
Twenty-one girls attended the workshop; 14 returned to put their skills to use to build apps related to chores, pen pals and online games.
Workshop participant Victoria James, 10, found the sessions to be a refreshing reminder of girls’ interest in STEM.
“There aren’t many girls in the tech industry, so it’s nice to know there are other people out there who are interested in the same things that I am,” the Buckley Country Day School fifth-grader said.
It was a fourth-grade teacher who encouraged Lindemann to practice coding in her free time at school. Then, she said, many of her female peers were interested in coding. As she grew older, she noticed their interest in coding and other tech-related careers dwindled. This year, Lindemann is the only girl on her high school’s robotics club.
One reason fewer girls are interested in coding, Lindemann believes, is simply because of lack of opportunities. Research by information technology company Accenture and nonprofit Girls Who Code shows that girls who participated in computing in middle school are 18% more likely to show interest in computers in high school and college.
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Most of the coding opportunities Lindemann’s school district offers, she said, are electives or clubs for older students, including scientific computing course for 11th and 12th graders and a middle school coding club. Lindemann aspires to establish a “pipeline” from middle school to high school by expanding after-school programs.
“I want to spread what I have learned so far and encourage others to learn that,” she told Newsday on Wednesday.
Naria Santa Lucia, a manager for digital inclusion and community engagement for Microsoft, said, “Every person needs digital skills to succeed in an increasingly technology- driven economy. That’s why Microsoft is committed to supporting expanded digital education opportunities like local hackathons.”
Lindemann’s personal commitment to expanding opportunities for girls goes back to middle school. She has held co-ed workshops at the Long Island Explorium to introduce younger students to coding. For her Girl Scouts Gold Award project, she partnered with Girls Inc. to launch coding opportunities for middle school girls and nonbinary students.
“Her drive and intellect will continue to open up new doors for others and we will continue to watch her journey in amazement,” said Miller Place High School Principal Kevin Slavin.
Lindemann said she’s planning another hackathon next year. More information can be found at lihackhers.com.
Women & coding
The Pew Research Center found in an April analysis that women in the workforce make up 25% of those who work with computers. As of 2018, women earned 19% of the computer science degrees awarded. While 62% of those who work with computers are white, researchers found that only 8% are Hispanic and 7% are Black.
Brinley Hineman covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. She previously was a reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a native of West Virginia.
Source: https://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/miller-place-teen-coding-hackathon-microsoft-1.50484176