BULLIT COUNTY, Ky. — Since launching in 2012, Girls Who Code has helped boost interest in coding among thousands of young women while increasing female representation in computer science and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. 

What You Need To Know

  • Girls Who Code has helped boost interest in coding among thousands of young women since launching in 2012 

  • A group of Kentucky students gather for classes every other Thursday at the Bullitt County Public Library Central location 

  • Volunteer Michele Freeman said when she first started teaching, 99 of the 100 students were male, a ratio that has since improved 

  • She's using her own experience to let young women know that anyone can get into computer sciences at any time

"I think coding is really fun with music," said fifth-grader Grayson Henry. "I like doing music. You get a really fun product in the end, and I really personally like listening to music. And coding music, you (get) to discover different sounds and stuff."

On one side of Henry sits 9-year-old Abigail Gabbard, who refined a game she created using a programming language scratch. On the other side is fourth-grader Irfane Badarou, who joined the after-school coding class at the Bullitt County Public Library Central location.

"I wanted to learn how I can maneuver around computers because I usually have a hard time figuring out copy and pasting and stuff," Badarou said. "I decided that maybe if I can learn some codes, too ... right now, I'm working on debugging." 

Michele Freeman, who volunteers to teach the group, said when she first started teaching, 99 of the 100 students were male. 

"We started the club, and then the following year, we had 30 out of 100," Freeman said. "The increase was amazing, and the girls ended up doing very successful." 

Freeman said she only started learning code languages five years ago, but she's now using her own experience to let young women know that anyone can get into computer sciences at any time. 

"I think the thing that I like the most about it is the creativity, but also the problem-solving and the teamwork," Freeman said. "We've done so many competitions; I had kids win a NASA challenge with code, like they can do anything. And I think it's exciting for the future because the kids are super excited, and they work so well together. And they learn how to solve problems."

"I honestly had no interest in coding until I learned how to code. And now, I'm fairly happy." 

The Bullitt County Public Library Central location hosts the classes every other Thursday.

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