Girls Who Code Resources

GWC HQ

SGWC is part of the national Girls Who Code organization, which is "on a mission to close the gender gap in technology and to change the image of what a programmer looks like and does." As members of SGWC, coders have access GWC HQ, where they can find tutorials, project ideas, design practices and more.

Core4 Activity Sets

Computer science is a rapidly changing field, and the list of programming languages that engineers use is always evolving. Still, there are a few logical problem-solving concepts that are the building blocks of nearly all programming languages. Girls Who Code calls these ideas the Core4: variables, loops, conditionals and functions. These Core4 concepts can be combined to solve many kinds of problems, whether you're building a game, running a simulation, or creating digital art.

GWC Summer Immersion Program

Girls Who Code also offers a 7-week Summer Immersion Program for rising junior and seniors.

Other GWC Clubs

There are many Girls Who Code Clubs in Michigan, including some in and around Lansing. Search for clubs near you on the GWC Club Locator.

Coding Environments

Coders practice using a few of the following coding environments during a SGWC session:

  • CodeHS — A platform for teaching and learning coding in a variety of different programming languages. Requires an account and password.

  • Codesters — A self-paced environment for learning Python and creating personal projects. Requires an account and password.

  • Repl.it — A cloud coding environment supporting multiple languages, including Python, JavaScript, HTML, C++, and more.

  • Khan Academy — Used for live programming/editing, sharing code, and video resources.

  • micro:bit — Used for programming a BBC Micro Bit, a computer system half the size of a credit card designed by the British Broadcasting Corporation for use in computer education in the UK.

  • ProcessingJS — API used to enhance assignments.

  • JSFiddle — Used for building websites and sharing code.

  • Fluid UI — Live editor used for building storyboarding/wireframing and building websites

Online Learning

There are countless opportunities to learn coding online free of charge and at your own pace. Some that we recommend include:

  • Codecademy — Learn to code interactively, for free. Offers lessons in Python, JavaScript, Ruby, HTML/CSS, and more.

  • CSFirst — An offering from Google to inspire kids to create with technology through free computer science clubs.

  • Pencil Code — A collaborative programming site for drawing art, playing music, and creating games. It is also a place to experiment with mathematical functions, geometry, graphing, webpages, simulations, and algorithms. Programs are open for all to see and copy.

  • EarSketch — Helps you learn coding through music. Coders use sounds from the EarSketch library or sounds they create, along with Python or JavaScript code, to produce studio quality music.

  • Coding with Chrome — A Google project to provide an easy-to-use coding environment within the Chrome browser that even works offline. Currently, users are able to create programs using Blockly, Coffeescript, HTML, Javascript with output to Logo Turtle and/or connected toys such as the Sphero and Lego Mindstorms. Filled with examples and tutorials at several levels.

  • Code Studio from Code.org — Home to numerous online courses that teach Computer Science fundamentals to all ages.

  • CodingBat — A free site of live coding problems to build coding skill in Java and Python. CodingBat is a project by Nick Parlante, a computer science lecturer at Stanford.

  • PythonTutor — Created by Philip Guo, helps people overcome a fundamental barrier to learning programming: understanding what happens as the computer executes each line of a program's source code.

  • LearnPython.org — Whether you are an experienced programmer or not, this website is intended for everyone who wishes to learn the Python programming language.

  • PySchools — A website designed to help you learn Python programming. The website contains tutorials, practices, and challenge problems. It also has an online Python editor with good reference examples.

  • W3Schools — A fantastic tutorial site for learning HTML, with examples of almost every web technology out there.

  • Software, Programming, and Coding for Kids — A guide to introducing code to kids with programming and html tutorials/games. It also has some interesting information about what a software engineer does and other fun computer science resources. (h/t to Diane Miller in Colorado for the pointer)