Girls Code Club is an afterschool program that is introducing secondary school girls to programming with the aim of raising their interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and empowering them to access career opportunities in Computer Science or related fields. Launched in April 2018, Girls Code Club seeks to provide resources and mentorship opportunities to underserved girls between 10-18 years. The program addresses the gender gaps in technology and other inequalities that deprive young Nigerian girls of quality education and opportunities for well being.

A pilot program was implemented in Holy Rosary College in Port Harcourt, Nigeria where the first set of 22 girls will graduate at a ceremony holding in December, 2018. Throughout the 12-week course, girls learned to code using visual and web programming languages: Turtle Blocks JS and Music blocks (Sugar Labs), Scratch, HTML and CSS. They learned the fundamentals of computer science, computer hardware and Robotics and also completed a Social Impact Project by using their programming skills to solve challenges that are relevant to their community.
In creating their own websites, students developed problem-solving, collaboration and communication skills to tackle real life issues while also building their confidence in using technology.

http://mindafrica.org/site/girlscodeclub

• Port Harcourt, Nigeria

• Youth
• Women
• Women

Girls Code Club is designed to be replicated in other schools within Port Harcourt and other parts of Nigeria in both private and public schools. MindAfrica has taken care to develop a toolkit for school management and program facilitators to enable them replicate the effective delivery of the program from start to finish. MindAfrica will work in collaboration with these schools or groups who wish to adopt the Girls Code Club program in their communities and will provide relevant program support for the effective program implementation.

Throughout the course of the pilot program, important information on efficacy and effectiveness of the program has been compiled. The program findings would be communicated clearly to program adopters including the efficacy of program components or modules and the efficacy of the training methods adopted. All major components of the program have been categorized into modules to allow each school implement the program on their own schedule but such that core components necessary for achieving desired student outcomes are not omitted. Schools can expand the scope of activities depending on the time and resources available to them without compromising the desired outcomes.

MindAfrica has developed a Girls Code Club toolkit which contains trainer’s guide, curriculum, lesson plans, students’ workbook, hands-on activity planners, CDs containing videos of class sessions, and other training requirements. It also contains essential program information such as program cost, volunteer/staff selection criteria, volunteer/staff training, volunteer/staff mentoring, and administrative structures and activities necessary for supporting program implementation.

Girls Code Club has been designed to have a long-term future and is capable of sustaining itself when funding support from MindAfrica ends. A sustainability plan was built into the pilot engagement process. MindAfrica invested in the installation of training software and equipment repair that has resulted in a functional computer laboratory for students to continue learning. Staff and volunteers recruitment, training and mentoring, development of a program toolkit, peer-to-peer training are all part of the long term strategy to ensure that school staff can successfully deliver workshops with minimal support from MindAfrica.
The Girls Code Club can also be implemented on a cost-effective budget. It cost approximately N15,000 (less than $40) to train 1 girl through a 12-week course. The program model emphasizes a strong community ownership that leverages local support for these programs. Part of the program requirement stipulates that at least 50% of the graduating class would volunteer to teach other girls in the club. As the number of GCC alumni increases, the number of volunteers and likely donors in a particular school community can grow and ultimately sustain itself.

Girls Code Club promotes the values of WSIS through our commitment to build the capacities of underserved girls by empowering them to access knowledge and skills, leveraging ICTs, to lift them out of challenging circumstances and improve their quality of life. In doing this Girls Code Club ensures a safe and enabling environment for girls of all categories to learn within its program scope. Girls Code Club ensures the security of its participants in working with Information Communication Technologies, and promotes the wellbeing of others in a manner that demonstrates team spirit, collaboration, and fairness.