Girls Who Code is closing the gender gap in computer science

Girls Who Code is closing the gender gap in computer science

"Currently women pose only 18 percent of the computer science field," said Cayce Hill, youth liaison for Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board, and also a senior at Marshfield High School.

SOWIB picked up the program to bring it here after program manager Kyle Stevens saw a presentation.

To raise money for the club to get started, Hill initially wrote grants, which has brought in $5,000 from the Jordan Cove Energy Project and $750 from Walmart.

The Girls Who Code club has identified a high interest in computer science coding in girls between 6th and 8th grades, but that the interest drops when they reach high school.

Leading the weekly classes, which will last until June, is Samantha Buckley, the public health emergency preparedness coordinator for Coos Health and Wellness.