Clarkston is committed to moving the needle on closing the gender gap in technology. With that in mind, Clarkston is partnering with Girls Who Code to help the cause by participating in clubs near local offices and sponsoring members in summer immersion programs.
T H E N E E D
Computing is where the jobs are — and where they will be in the future, but fewer than 1 in 5 computer science graduates are women. In 1995, 37% of computer scientists were women. Today, it’s only 24%. If we do nothing, in ten years the number of women in computing will decrease to just 22%. As active members of the technology space at Clarkston Consulting, we feel that we have a responsibility to take actions
Clarkston's Write your Future Program
Clarkston’s Write Your Future program challenges the young women of Girls Who Code to deliver on a project for a client that involves research, design, and execution of a technology solution to solve a real-world problem. The project teams are comprised of 3-4 girls who will partner with Clarkston stewards and a client from the Life Sciences and/or Consumer Packaged Goods industries.
Client Relationship Building
This program pairs teams with client counterparts consisting of women and men that lead technology transformations for some of the largest companies in the world. The girls are able to connect with their “clients” 2-3 times during their projects to brainstorm together, learn from, and receive guidance relating to their specific project.
Research and Presentation Skills
The girls develop critical research skills as they explore and develop solutions to real-world “client problems”. Using the insights, they find during the research phase, the girls will be asked to design and build a technology enabled solution as a project deliverable. At the culmination of the program, the girls present their solutions to their client counterparts at the Write Your Future Gala! This will gives girls an opportunity to highlight their hard work, as well as practice their presentation skills.
Mentorship
Throughout the program, the girls receive mentorship and guidance from both Clarkston stewards and their clients. This serves as a foundation to a lasting mentorship relationship that the girls can leverage throughout their schooling and careers.
O U R R E A C H
Through Clarkston’s involvement in not only the our Write Your Future program, but also Girls Who Code’s summer immersion programs as well as after-school clubs, we’re able to reach a large group of young women in several different states. In 2019, we’re only hoping to expand this group.
OUR RECENT GWC EVENTS
