Developing a Girls Code the World Lesson

Projects are short-term, tangible tasks that an individual or group can work on. If you need nonprofit-certified volunteer hours, we can do so based on the hours you complete for your project. We also are happy to work with you on way to promote your organization, company, or school for your partnership with Girls Code the World.

We invite all employees, partners, and volunteers to consider their own passions in STEM and mobilize that into lesson plans that we can implement in our programs. Don’t have experience designing curriculum? Don’t worry! We have resources and step-by-step guides for you so you will be successful no matter what your current knowledge is.

Skills and Qualities

Our Project Partners are:

  • Organized, communicative, and driven

  • Devoted to woman-based mentorship

  • Committed to community engagement

  • Leaders by taking initiative

  • Educated about barriers to success STEM

Our Teaching Philosophy

Our curriculum is unique, intersectional, and offers insight into the real world. Gain experience with curriculum development, and get involved with sharing your knowledge with the next generation of STEM leaders.

Our Focus
Although our name is “Girls Code the World”, our programming focuses on the intersection between life sciences, engineering, coding, technology, and computer science. We emphasize the importance of the design engineering process, introduce girls to careers/opportunities in STEM, and inspire them to be leaders in the field by bringing in female speakers. We do hands-on projects, laptop-based lessons, and teamwork activities. Some of our lessons include 3D printing, a water filtration system, building a dancing project using drag and drop block-based coding, and learning about aerodynamics.

Scope and Sequence Method
We use a Scope and Sequence planning method to create lesson plans. This method allows us to visualize the progression of thought and understanding of our participants. All of our Lesson Plans begin with a Warm-Up that engages the minds of the girls, and all Lesson Plans end with a conclusion that encourages the girls to make real world connections and create tangible understandings.

Specialized Lessons
We also create specialized and research-based curriculum for schools by collaborating with their STEM teachers on lesson plans that prepare girls to be confident in their classes. We have worked with one school five years in a row now, constantly improving the program every year to match their specific needs.

What We Offer at Our Programs
Our in-person and virtual program focuses on holistic STEM education, reaching across many different fields such as engineering, coding, biology, and chemistry. Girls Code the World facilitates an appreciation for the wide application of STEM and fosters a growth mindset.

Coding Platforms
We work specifically with drag and drop block-based programs such as Scratch and Code.org. The girls also become familiar with Java through Hello World! and Biology with Processing.

Timeline

We generally estimate that developing your first lesson takes about a mont from your initial interest in the form below to when we have a final product. This is what an sample timeline would look like:

  • Day 1: Submit your interest at the form below.

  • Day 2-4: Girls Code the World will review your request and add you as a guest to our #Project-Partner and #Lesson-Development Slack channels.

  • Day 5-12: You can explore the resources and support we have built out for you on our Slack channels. We have example lessons, templates, insight into where we are looking to grow our expertise, sites with inspiration, and more. You will also be introduced to our Director of Curriculum, Kristen Aballa, who oversees all lesson development within the organization.

  • Day 13-14: You will get working on building a lesson based on your interests or inspiration you found online.

  • Day 15: You will submit your first draft to our Director of Curriculum, Kristen Aballa, at curriculum@girlscodetheworld.org.

  • Day 16-23: Kristen will review your lesson and give comments on it.

  • Day 24-27: You can make edits and communicate with Kristen about any questions you have.

  • Day 28-30: Kristen will approve your lesson, and it will be added to the Girls Code the World curriculum database for the next generation of STEM to learn and grow from! Your name and/or school/organization will be featured to give credit to your creativity and dedication.

Get Started on Lesson Making

Girls Code the World is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides resources, role models, and opportunities for young girls in science, technology, engineering, and math through STEM-related educational programming and extended mentorships. It was founded by Sydney Gibbard and Mina Shokoufandeh in 2018.

We work with a primarily socioeconomically disadvantaged and underrepresented community. Our curriculum for our educational programs should target our population's interests. This means our curriculum must be engaging for youth, should inspire them with role models that come from a similar background, and must expose them to a variety of opportunities within the STEM fields. 

Girls Code the World is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.