THE CLUB IS ALL NEW FOR THE 2024-25 SEASON!
The Lancaster Science Factory welcomes new and returning coders to the ALL NEW Girls Code Club! Each cohort will learn a different coding language in twice-monthly sessions. Join us in the Fall, Spring, or BOTH!
This program is open to girls ages 8 – 13. No coding experience is required, but it is helpful for students to have some experience with a qwerty keyboard and mouse. The cost is just $105 per participant. This includes eight facilitated lessons, a Girls Code Club water bottle, and earned attendance incentives. Scholarships are available for families with financial needs.
Click here to download the scholarship application.
Click the schedule below to register for Cohort 1 or Cohort 2!
Curriculum Details
Why It Matters
Computer science is rarely covered in elementary and middle school, but early exposure is essential. We want to encourage an interest in girls at a young age while creating a warm and supportive community.
Technology is all around us. Computer science jobs are projected to grow dramatically by 2026, yet women earn only 18% of the Computer Science bachelor’s degrees in the United States. Click here to read more about the current state of women in computer science.
Attendance Incentives
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Program Lead: Emma Wertz
Emma graduated from Millersville University with a major in Computer Science and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. She is now pursuing a Master’s in Engineering from Arizona State University. Since starting her software career in 2017, Emma has learned several languages that allow her to build up the Girls Code Club curriculum to what it is today! She is now the Project Manager and a Software Engineer for The Social Institute, an EdTech company based in North Carolina. In this role, she focuses on designing, building, and creating content for a gamified product used in schools. Emma enjoys biking, photography, cooking, Harry Potter, snuggling her many pets, and volunteering at her local animal shelter in her free time. She is SO excited to be returning for her fourth year as the Program Lead for Girls Code Club!
Head Coach: Amanda Mooney
Amanda graduated from Millersville University with a major in English, where her studies focused on technological literacy in and out of the classroom. She began her career in digital marketing and web design before joining Cargas Systems as a User Experience Designer. In her free time, you can find Amanda on her yoga mat, tending her balcony garden, or enjoying a cup of tea and a good book. She has a passion for accessible design and technology that feels like magic. She is so excited to see what this year’s cohort of coders will do!
Assistant Coach: Emily Stubbs
Emily graduated from Penn State University with a major in Nutritional Sciences, but developed a love for coding when working in public health research. After teaching herself programming using an open-source curriculum, she transitioned into the tech world and started Central PA Web Designs, where she creates custom websites for small businesses. When she’s not coding or designing, Emily enjoys cooking, baking, soapmaking, playing music, hiking, and spending time with her yellow lab. She is thrilled to return to Girls Code Club and looks forward to another year of learning, creation, and laughter.
Assistant Coach: Audrey Sontag
Audrey graduated from George Mason University with a major in Communication and a minor in Computer Science. She first started coding in high school during an internship where she learned SQL and Python to work with large datasets. Many people helped her learn to code and she loves passing along the generosity people showed her to the kids in Girls Code Club! Today, Audrey is an independent consultant doing software engineering for various non-profit and issue advocacy organizations based in Washington D.C. In her spare time, she likes to sew and makes her Halloween costume every year. You can also find her running long distances on the trails in Lancaster.
