Anita Davis, manager of the V.I. Next Generation Network Public Computer Center, gave an introduction to coding web pages on Wednesday as part of the ongoing Code Like a Girl Summer Camp at the All Saints Cathedral School.
Code Like a Girl began in 2015 in Australia as a series of events providing girls and young women with the opportunity to delve into technology in a nurturing atmosphere. It has since become a global movement, with scheduled activities provided around the world, according to a statement from the viNGN.
Local tech pros, instructors and industry executives are giving hands-on workshops and insightful presentations to help engage the students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to help see themselves in technical careers of their own. viNGN’s Davis gave an “unplugged” workshop on web page coding starting with HyperText Markup Language, better known as HTML.
“HTML is really the ‘baby steps’ to modern web design, which includes HTML5, Cascading Style Sheets and JavaScript,” Davis said in a news release. “Coding can be learned at any age, regardless of educational background. People of all ages who are interested in creating interactive websites, designing games, and becoming developers can start with the basics and work their way forward with no boundaries,” she said.
Following the camp, participants will come together and share what they have learned at a forum and presentation of projects from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday in the business classroom area of Chase Auditorium on the University of the Virgin Islands’ St. Thomas Campus.
“This is also a tremendous program to help encourage the involvement of girls and young women in the continuously growing STEM industry, and we are proud to be involved with helping provide more access to such opportunities,” Davis said.
The Saturday showcase is open to the public.
The viNGN was established in 2010 as a public corporation and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the V.I. Public Finance Authority, primarily funded through federal grants aimed at improving broadband internet access.
