Zynga pledges $100,000 to support Girls Who Code initiative

Zynga teams with GWC for International Women’s Day

Mobile game giant Zynga has pledged $100,000 from its Social Impact Fund in a new partnership with Girls Who Code (GWC), a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and tutoring girls and young women in computer sciences, with an aim to close the gender gap in technological industries.

“Zynga is honored to team up with Girls Who Code to help forge a more inclusive industry in tech and games by expanding opportunities for girls and women across the globe,” said Zynga’s Chief Legal Officer Phuong Phillips. “Through their virtual workshops, school clubs, mentorship programs, networking and more, we are hoping to build the next generation of women in STEAM to help them to prepare and thrive in the tech workforce.”

The support from Zynga will go towards the operation of computing clubs across the United States, Canada, the UK, and India. These free-to-attend events offer training and education for girls and young women interested in coding, design, and other computing-based roles. The clubs offer tutelage and information from a professional body of mentors, helping to train and inspire students while providing access to technology and resources unavailable to those from low-income communities.

“We know that passionate, diverse, ambitious young women are the key to transforming our workplace and our world,” said Dr. Tarika Barrett, Girls Who Code’s incoming CEO. “We’re excited to partner with Zynga this International Women’s Day to send a loud signal to young women everywhere that they belong in technology and that they have support in their journey from school into the workforce. Zynga and Girls Who Code share a vision of a more fair and equitable workforce, where women of all backgrounds rise to the top.”

To date, GWC has reached over 300,000 women worldwide, with 80,000 college-aged alumni now majoring in Computer Science or other related fields. GWC hopes to have closed the gender gap for entry-level jobs in the computing industry by the year 2030, utilizing and expanding its club program – as well as its global network of mentors and industry professionals – in order to offer more young women the opportunity to achieve their goals.

For more information about Girls Who Code, please visit the organization’s official website.