A University of Windsor coding workshop for young women has more than doubled in size since launching in 2018. Nearly 100 female Grade 7 to 11 students left the university campus Feb. 8 equipped with one of the most in-demand skills across industries.

Mike Konstantino, the university’s engineering outreach co-ordinator, says the faculty has expanded the intake of the complimentary workshop and will host a second one that is open to both female and male students in the spring.

“These workshops always fill up quickly,” Konstantino says. “We decided to host a second event to accommodate a growing interest in the community.”

The four-hour computer programming workshop, called Go CODE Girl, is led by UWindsor engineering faculty, staff, and students. Participants learn how to design interactive web pages using HTML/CSS, create a personalized website, which can serve as a professional portfolio and the basics of a computer programming language called Python.

Participant Amna Ahmed, 13, lives in Michigan. She crossed the border for the second year in a row to take part.

“It’s fun and it’s teaching me new skills to create better projects,” she says.

Sponsored by the Ontario Network for Women in Engineering, the province-wide event encourages young women to learn about the world of coding and software development and discover opportunities in computing and engineering fields. Go CODE Girl aims to educate, inspire and equip girls with the digital skills, confidence and resources needed to pursue an education in engineering, technology and computing.

View photos from the event on the UWindsor Engineering Facebook page. Details about the spring workshop will be released shortly.

—Kristie Pearce