UHCL summer academy empowers girls to learn coding, computer skills

July 24, 2019 | UHCL Staff

Over 75 middle school girls from the Houston area learning more than coding and animation in the Soaring Hawks Girls' Code Academy at University of Houston-Clear Lake. They are learning that it isn't nearly as difficult as they'd thought it would be.

"All the girls have scholarships through a grant made possible by the Texas Workforce Commission," said Jana Willis, professor of instructional design and technology. "The goal of the camp is to engage the girls in computer coding and give them the opportunity to investigate careers in computer science. Our first step was to help the girls overcome the mindset that computer science is 'too hard.' We keep telling them, 'What are you worried about? You're actually doing it!'"

Willis and Assistant Professor of Software Engineering Soma Datta are both co-principal investigators of the TWC grant, and organizers of the Academy. "There are so many branches in computer science," Datta said. "At first, the girls say they think a career in computer science is too hard. It's beyond imagination how well they're doing. We are working to get past their mental blocks about it. Now, when we say it's time for a break, they ask us for five more minutes."

Through each of the three weeklong camps taking place on campus in the STEM and Classroom Building, the girls have had hands-on experience creating websites, using coding to program robots such as Ozobots to read colors and turn left or right and Spheros that respond to controls through apps in a smartphone or tablet.

Johanna Jacob, who received her master of science in computer science from UHCL in fall 2018, has been instructing the girls. "They're creating, designing and innovating digitally," she said. "We have had an amazing time learning about Python, algorithms, animating characters and designing video games. We have one more camp to go this summer and this platform give the girls a chance to open up and be exposed to coding."

For more information about summer activities for children offered by UHCL's Center for Educational Programs online.