Black Girls Code comes to Spelman College

Black women represent just 1.8% of the engineering and science workforce, as reported by the National Science Foundation in August of 2022.

Black Girls Code is looking to change that.

Running from June 17th through Friday June 28th, Spelman College hosted Black Girls Code for their summer camp program. The camp hosted 50 middle school and high school campers for an immersive understanding of STEM education and potential career paths they can explore. Each year the camp undergoes a different theme, this year students made their own pixelated video games which focused on AI and climate change.

The campers coded their own game centered on sustainability using Microsoft MakeCode Arcade. The younger campers, who met in the corner classroom of the second floor of the Spelman College Innovation Lab, looked excited while moving from desktop to desktop, looking in awe of each other’s work.

Suhailah Owuo-Hagood, a 15-year-old participant from the West End, shared her journey with Black Girls Code beginning with her first learning about it from her mother. Initially skeptical, Owuo-Hagood, who had not been deeply into tech before, found her interest growing as she met other girls in the field. “I’m actually part of Girls of Excellence, so it kind of bridged me here,” she explained. “This is my first year, and I like it. The girls are pretty cool. We’ve been doing a lot of MakeCode Arcade. It’s cool seeing a game go from what the originator did and then adding your own touch.”

The 50 attending students were divided into 2 different groups, each group consisting of approximately 25 people each. The camp caters to girls aged 11 to 17, divided into “littles” (ages 11-13) and “bigs” (ages 14-17).

Regarding her future aspirations, Owuo-Hagood said, “I want to do a little bit more advanced coding. Instead of arcade games, I’d like to work on smaller pixel games that look more realistic, like Fortnite.” Although she is not certain about her career path, Owuo-Hagood values the skills she’s gaining from the camp. “These summer camps open my eyes to many things. I met Professor Holmes, who was a project manager and now advises people on coding,”

Jael Crewe, 11, who attended the camp first learned about Black Girls Code at the age of seven when her mother introduced her to the program. Now attending the camp at 11, Crewe’s introduction to coding came from her mother, who introduced her to Scratch, a coding platform for creating interactive stories, games, and animations.

“My mom showed me Scratch because I used to like to mix things up when I was younger and I was hooked. I saw that you could use code to make games, and I decided I wanted to be a software engineer,” Crewe explained

Crewe cites her time at the camp in helping to nurture her interest in software engineering. “The courses here have been preparing me well. Right now, we’re making a game about ocean acidification,” Crewe said. When asked about ocean acidification, she explains, “It’s when carbon dioxide and oxygen enter the ocean. It’s really bad for the ocean, especially for the fish. It makes it harder for them to see predators.”

This is the camp’s second year in Atlanta, having previously been hosted on Georgia Tech’s campus in 2022. Cadence Patrick, a 21-year-old rising senior at Spelman College, a current mentor in the summer, as well as a former student in the her home of Oakland, California where the program started, shared her thoughts on the transition from student to mentor,  “It really feels like a full circle moment,” Patrick said. “Watching them learn about game design and computer science has been amazing. It’s so cool getting to mentor them because I remember what it was like doing this coding camp.”

Patrick, set to receive her degree in computer science next year, cites her participation in the program as a kid as profoundly influencing her academic and career path. “Doing Black Girls Code Camp and those events inspired me to major in computer science, and I decided to attend Spelman because of it,” she explained.

This year marks a significant milestone as Black Girls Code hosts its first camp at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). “I think it’s super cool that it’s not only at Spelman College, a women’s HBCU, but that I get to attend and be a mentor for these students. said Patrick.

The organization’s programs have been hosted in 15 cities across the country. The program was founded in 2011 in Oakland by Kimberly Bryant and is now being led by current CEO Cristina Jones, who took the position in October of 2023. On the final day of the camp, attendees will present their final projects to their fellow campers and attendees.

Brittany Long, the program manager for Black Girls Code  shares her pride in having the camp hosted on an HBCU campus, particularly at Spelman College. “As a Howard University alum, it’s heartwarming to see these girls on an HBCU campus, learning what that means and being surrounded by future leaders,” she said. “The number of girls aspiring to attend Spelman College has increased from one to seven,” Long continued.

Reflecting on her time with Black Girls Code, Long cherishes the students’ transformation. “They come in as shy, timid girls, and by day three, they have best friends,” she said. “The friendships and community they build are my favorite part.”

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