ChiCode Blog

Blog #1 - Dissipating the Gap in Access to Technology and Computer Science Education in Marginalized Communites

“Coding is today’s language of creativity.”- Maria Clave.

Technology, specifically coding, provides an avenue for students of all backgrounds and disciplines, to use their problem solving abilities and passion for solving real world problems to develop applications that can benefit our society. The limit that programming, and technology broadly, holds to solve today’s problems are virtually endless.

Unfortunately, access to technology and programming is not equitable and accessible to students, especially marginalised groups like females. According to UNICEF, without adoption and inclusion of females in the tech field, females will encounter more hurdles in terms of employment and participation in the workforce. To ensure success amongst marginalised groups, digital inclusion and literacy is key. ChiCode aims to tackle this gender gap in technology by dismantling barriers surrounding minority groups in tech. ChiCode does this by offering live and guided courses in various levels of technical literacy from learning G-Suite services to drag and drop coding to object oriented programming like Python and Java.

In the past, ChiCode has worked with refugee women from Iran and the Congo currently residing in Greece teaching them how to develop their own website to showcase their work in journalism including documentaries and photography as a tool to attract new clients. This website has allowed them to both grow their business and provide a platform for future projects, empowering them to leverage technology for better future prospects. ChiCode has also been working with women from South Africa to build their personal websites to develop their technical skills. To date, ChiCode has worked with over 300 students in 15+ countries (Jamaica, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya Iran, Congo) and in multiple states across the United States.

Moving forward, ChiCode will also be offering two new courses: DIY and Story Sessions along with Intro to Microsoft Applications. It is crucial that we impart knowledge of technology and coding to the younger generation and STEM students. Through our efforts, amongst initiatives of other nonprofits and individuals, we hope to bridge the gap in access to technology!