Club for girls encourages interest in computers

• Computer coding club for girls meets monthly at Country Day

A Cincinnati Country Day School junior’s goal is to enocurage more women to become involved in computer science.

“(I want) to expand the community of technology culture,” said Moya Ly, who partnered with Emily Wang, a friend who attends Mason High School, to start a new club geared toward women that promotes an interest in comuters and technology.

The “you.code () Programming Club for Girls” launched in October and meets one Saturday a month from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Cincinnati Country Day School, 6905 Given Road. The specific Saturday of the month varies.

According to a recent study, students pursuing a degree in computer science is expected to decline in the next decade, Ly said.

However, Ly said that while degrees in the computer science field may be decreasing, she said that by 2020 Cincinnati is expected to have nearly 8,000 technology-related jobs.

Ly, who lives in Montgomery, said she wants women to be an integral part of this.

Ly and Wang, who were runner ups for a national Aspiration In Computing Award, started the club using grant money Ly applied for from the National Center for Women and Information Technology.

“It’s a great opportunity for girls to get a flavor and taste of computer science,” said Marcus Twyford, a computer science teacher at Cincinnati Country Day School, adding that many people have a misconception that computer science enthusiasts are simply “geeks in a basement banging out code.”

“I think the girls who have participated have been pleasantly surprised,” Twyford said.

Previous meetings have touched on topics ranging from robotics to 3D printing.

For information on joining the club, email Ly at lym@countryday.net.