Graduation night came for a group of teenage girls who participated in a program teaching them how to code in a bid to entice them into a possible career in the tech industry, which has been criticized for being heavily dominated by men.
The seven-week summer immersion program for 20 local young women in 10th and 11th grades, was held at Riot Games campus in Santa Monica. There, the participants learned STEM skills and had a hands-on look at careers in game development and esports, and even had the chance to record their own esports 'broadcast segment.'
The graduation ceremony held last week on the Riot Games campus celebrated the 20 young womens' achievements over the summer and allowed the GWC students to present the projects they'd developed over the last few weeks in a science fair-like format.
Critics have often complained about a lack of women who take coding jobs in the tech industry, an area that has remained largely dominated by men. The partnership between Riot Games and the nonprofit Girls Who Code, are given the opportunity to learn computer science to help solve life's challenges.
Photo: Riot Games