A Summer of Skills-building
As part of AT&T’s Summer of Skills, we’ve been collaborating with organizations across the country to support opportunities that help young people develop the valuable STEM and tech skills that will play a critical role in their future success.
Programs included in the Summer of Skills – All Star Code, Black Girls Code, Girl Scouts, Girls Who Code and Air Force Association’s Cyber Patriots – have, for years, been opening doors for young people across the country to develop skills including coding, media making, web design and more. This summer alone, our support of these programs has helped reach more than 500 talented young people across the country – thinkers and doers that will go on to be future changemakers in the fields of technology, science and more.
One of those talented young people is Tsipora Stone, who participated in an AT&T-hosted Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program in 2014.
“In high school, I was interested in math, but couldn’t envision what a future career in the field would look like,” Tsipora said. “Girls Who Code changed my life. Over the course of seven weeks, I learned building blocks of technology – Python, Scratch and robotics. As my formal tech training and skills progressed…I began to imagine myself thriving in a tech-forward career. “
Five years after Tsipora first walked into an AT&T office as a Girls Who Code participant, she finds herself back at AT&T, this time as an intern with our technology team. When we think about building the talent pipeline –working to ensure that young people have access to skills-building opportunities that will put them on a path to career success – examples like Tsipora’s confirm the vital importance of these programs.
This summer, young women such as Tsipora – from New York to Seattle – are learning the fundamentals of coding, robotics and more through Girls Who Code camps hosted at AT&T, Turner, Warner Bros. and Xandr. While developing their STEM skills, these young coders also have the opportunity to work alongside and learn from strong female role models during field trips, panel presentations and one-on-one mentorship.
Marissa Shorenstein, president of AT&T’s northern region, is one of those role models. She’s been volunteering with Girls Who Code’s Summer Immersion Programs since they started in 2013.
“It’s thrilling to see a young person such as Tsipora grow and realize her talent,” Shorenstein said. “Girls Who Code doesn’t just provide young women an introduction to the skills necessary to pursue a career in technology. The program also whets their appetite to want to work for organizations like AT&T that are committed to ensuring diversity in the workplace.”
To learn more about Tsipora’s experience, read her story in her own words.
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