Black Girls Code Launches Free Coding Academy for Black Girls

Computer technology is one of the fastest-growing career fields. The ability to code is an essential skill for anyone looking to keep up with changes in the tech industry. 

To help get more girls started on this journey, Black Girls Code  has launched Code Along Jr., a free online coding academy for girls ages 7 to 10. Kalani Jewel, the child star of Candy Cane Lane, will lead Code Along Jr., a series of six video tutorials designed to spark young girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.

“Together, we can change the face of technology,” Black Girls Code CEO Christina Jones said in a statement. “Kalani, as a vibrant and energetic 12-year-old, is the perfect host for Code Along Jr. She shows girls that tech is fun, not scary. She reaches them at their level and shows them that they can do anything they want. This is so important because tech is at the center of everything we do, and Black girls absolutely have a lot to offer as entrepreneurs, executives, creators, and artists of the future.”

Black Girls Code is on a mission to foster early interest in technology among Black girls and addresses the lack of computer science education in U.S. schools. The organization partnered with GoldieBlox, a toy company that focuses on interactive toys designed for girls to introduce them (and their parents) to STEM, to help bring Code Along Jr. to life and give Black girls a headstart in the ever-evolving tech industry.

“I want to create tables for these girls so that they can create tables so that we can affect change at scale,” Jones said. “Because it’s the momentum—once we get going hopefully, it’s like a snowball effect.”

​​Young coders follow and subscribe to the Black Girls Code YouTube channel to learn more about Code Along Jr.