McCormick Taylor’s Charity Committee helps our employees give back to their communities. By becoming involved with our employees’ different organizations, programs, and charities, we grow closer to our employees and the places we call home. This quarter, the Charity Committee chose to allocate funds to Black Girls CODE, Inc.
Black Girls CODE was founded in 2011 by Kimberly Bryant, an electrical engineer with over 20 years of experience in the biotech industry. Her goal in founding Black Girls CODE was to reverse the underrepresentation of women of color – particularly Black women – in the STEM industry by providing tools and access to girls between the ages of 7 and 17. Some of the resources and events include workshops, classes, after-school activities, hackathons, and summer camps.
Alyssa Sooklal, a Water Resources Designer II in our Baltimore office, nominated the organization after learning of their dedication and commitment to helping young Black women and other young women of color excel in an underrepresented industry. The organization works to expose young women of color to STEM at an earlier stage of their lives and provides them with tools and skills in technology and computer programming.
“The implications of the resources and education provided to young women of color will be long-lasting,” Alyssa said. “This organization will help change the landscape of STEM in the future. Our society needs a more culturally diverse workforce in every industry, and this organization is making a direct impact on this initiative.”
In a 2019 interview, Kimberly Bryant shared that her goal is to train 1,000,000 young women in computer science by 2040. A study conducted by WIRED found that in 2015-2016, the number of women enrolled in computer science programs was less than 5,000. To read the full interview, click here.
Black Girls CODE, Inc. has grown considerably since their pilot year in 2011. They’ve trained thousands of young women, secured a partnership with Google, where the organization’s office is now located, and continue to make an impact in STEM.
To learn more about Black Girls CODE, Inc. and how you can get involved, visit https://www.wearebgc.org/.
