Coding Classes Worldwide

South America

Coderise

2012 is quite ahead of the curve in terms of providing free coding workshops to young people. Coderise started with a youth programme in Medellin, Colombia, and since then have operated programmes across Latin America, including in Peru and Honduras. Their programmes start for children as young as 5 (with Boomerbot, which helps children develop their digital skills) to those over 18. We LOVE that they also offer a programme for refugees and the internally displaced.

North America

Girls Who Code

Anyone who is a regular reader of Qissa will know that we were part of a fabulous event with Girls Who Code in March 2023. For those who missed our summary, Girls Who Code are on a mission to close the gender gap in technology and to change the image of what a programmer looks like. They help to launch clubs across the US and Canada (as well as UK and India) where students can learn the basics of coding languages free of charge. They also offer computer science activities to try at home and have programmes for those in higher education who may be looking to a career in tech.   

Asia

Sisters of Code

Sisters of Code is the first female coding club in Cambodia. The free 18-week programme is offered to those aged between 10 and 20 years old and exists to empower and support female students through education to discover their full potential and grow a new generation of digital creators. Sisters of Code takes girls with no basic knowledge of coding and, by the end of the programme, they are able to create their own website or video game. The organisation has won numerous international awards for their work and they believe that technology should be an equal opportunity, not a privilege!

Shilpa Sayura Foundation

This Sri Lanka based organisation actually works across many areas of digital technology. Not only do they help girls to learn programming with their Code Girl Initiative, they also run projects about internet safety, about accessing education and a creative media initiative that gives young people the chance to speak about social issues that might affect them. Shilpa Sayura Foundation believes in the power of technology to bring about lasting societal change, and this is evident through the range of programmes they offer.

Europe

EMMSTech

So far, we’ve covered organisations for young people, but let’s not forget how important it is for women to also see themselves represented and to feel part of a community. EMMSTech is based in Sweden and is focused on helping women of colour in the tech space in Nordic countries to learn, empower and connect with one another. They are relatively new, but they have already run workshops, talks, courses and have funded scholarships for women to continue to develop in the technology space. As they say on their website, 67% of non-white women feel that their identity or background affects their career negatively, so it is incredibly important for women of colour to have spaces to feel confident and develop their skills in a supportive environment. 

Stemettes

UK-based, Stemettes is a social enterprise that works to bring more girls into STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) careers. They run workshops, mentoring programmes, school clubs and live events, all designed to get those aged between 5 and 25 interested in STEAM. Our Content Editor, Cassie, spoke at one of the Stemettes events earlier this year and was thrilled to see so many young people actively engaged with the idea of a future in these fields!

Africa

Afro Fem Coders

Serving more than 20 African countries, Afro Fem Coders aims to empower women to code and offers them the supportive environment they need to succeed. They have already worked with over 5,000 students and have run classes, hackathons, panel talks and more. Classes are in-depth, covering everything from Python Programming to Design Innovation and they aim to deliver these to more than a million women in the next decade. With less than 5% of programmers in Sub-Saharan Africa being women, programmes like this are incredibly important in securing a diverse and equitable future workforce. 

Australasia

Deadly Coders

While not aimed specifically at girls, 57% of participants in Deadly Coders pilot are female – twice the industry average. With a mission to provide every Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander primary and secondary school student with access to engaging STEM programs in the next 10 years, Deadly Coders have already worked with over 300 young people across Australia. They hope to ignite a love for STEAM in Indigenous Australians and to close the participation gap in STEAM education.

She{Codes}

Another organisation aimed at women rather than girls, She{Codes} teaches technical skills and focuses on career development in order to bring more women into the tech space. With both online tutorials and in-person programmes, they have helped to secure technology-related jobs for almost 150 women in Australia. They have built a community of over 11,000 women and also offer mentorship and a Female Founders Programme. 

Global

Code First Girls 

Despite the name, Code First Girls focuses on getting women (not girls) into the tech sphere. Their offering is huge (and international) with everything from beginners courses to a 16-week CFGdegree in either data, software, full-stack or *new* product management. All courses are free and they have delivered over £75 million worth of free technology education and helped more than 150,000 women learn to code!

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This is just a small selection of the incredible organisations working in the fields of education and technology. We are so inspired by the people that give their time to help the next generation of women to reach new heights. Get in touch with any other organisations you think we should know about!