FA C I L I TAT O R G U I D E

We’re excited to partner with Girls Inc. to help introduce girls to the world of coding! Made with Code’s goal is to pique girls’ curiosity in coding, and encourage them to explore the ways they can build upon the things they love using code.

While 74% of girls express interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in middle school, by high school only 3% of girls plan to major in Computer Science.

Together we can inspire girls to see that code can help them achieve their dreams—whether they’re interested in art, medicine, movies, music, fashion or dance.

Don’t know anything about coding? Don’t worry! It only takes a couple hours to plan and host a Made with Code party, and this guide gives you the resources you need to be successful.

This guide includes:

• Party themes, ice breakers, and planning tips.

• Stories of female mentors and women who are doing inspirational and creative things with code.

• Coding projects for girls to learn and explore how coding can help them pursue their passions.

• Resources for Girl Ambassadors share their love of coding with their peers.

Encouragement from adults and peers is the #1 contributor to a girl’s decision to pursue Computer Science. So thanks for getting involved and showing girls that the things they love are Made with Code!

The Google Made with Code team

H O S T I N G A M A D E W I T H C O D E PA R T Y

Ready to dive in and inspire the next generation of coders? It only takes an hour to set up your first party.

Here are some tips for a successful party:

• Pick a party spot. You’ll need a space where you can provide computers or Chromebooks that can connect to the Internet for the coding projects.

If resources are limited:

• Have girls work in pairs.

• See if a local library, community center, or university has an area with computers to host your party.

• Ask volunteers to provide tablets or computers for the party.

• Choose a theme. We’ve put together projects and mentor stories to help you show girls that the things they love are Made with Code. Once you pick your theme, use the sample agenda or customize your party.

• Make it interactive. Feature videos from the Made with Code website related to your party theme. You can also start by showing the Made with Code video found here: https://www.youtube.com/madewcode. Use a projector to show videos to your party-goers on a big screen. If a projector isn’t available you can all simply watch the videos together on a shared computer screen.

H O S T I N G A M A D E W I T H C O D E PA R T Y

• Give the coding projects a try. Before the party, try the coding projects on your own and watch the videos to become familiar with the material. Don’t worry, the coding projects are introductory and teach basic logic and problem solving. You can do them!

• Get to know the talking points. See “Talking points” on p.9 to help introduce the topic of coding to girls. Make sure to include girls in the introduction by asking them about previous experience, knowledge and perceptions about coding and computer science.

• Provide specific feedback and encouragement. Motivate your girls by letting them know coding takes time to learn and you’ll all work together to figure out the answers to any questions. Provide positive encouragement when girls are working on the projects—and encourage girls to share any roadblocks as well as successes.

• Invite a special guest. Consider inviting a guest speaker to share their perspective on the world of coding, such as a local female engineer or a Computer Science teacher.

• Pick up snacks. If possible, provide healthy treats to fuel the girls’ creativity and energy.

• Send out invitations. Customize the template on the next page, and encourage each girl who joins your party to bring a friend.

[Subject Line]: You’re invited to a Made with Code Party

Hi (name),

You’re invited to a Made with Code party on (date) at (location)!

From fashion to film, code is a tool that lets you write your story using technology. Join us for a fun intro to coding.

During the party, you’ll get to:

• Hear how women and girl coders around the world are using their creativity through code to make an impact on the world

• Check out some of the amazing things you can do with code—like making an LED dress light up, mixing beats, or animating your own short film. (Facilitators —You can customize this to promote your party theme if you’ve chosen one.)

• Discover how the things you love are Made with Code!

Please RSVP by x date to let us know if you’ll be there.

We hope to see you on (date)!

I N V I TAT I O N T E M P L AT E

S A M P L E A G E N D A & PA R T Y T H E M E S

Here are four party themes you can choose from. Pick a project for your first party that you think will appeal to your girls, and save the rest for future events. If you can only get one computer or tablet for the party, try picking a theme that works well in small groups, like the LED Dress, Music Mixer, or the Yeti Project.

Sample agenda

We recommend scheduling 1.5 hours for your party to give girls plenty of time to engage with the projects.

Made with Code talking points 5 min

Ice breakers 10 min

Mentor/inspirational videos 10 min

Break 5 min

Projects 50 min

Next steps 10 min

Ice breaker questions:

• What are three pieces of clothing you can’t leave home without when you pack for a trip?

• What’s your favorite actor’s or actress’ style and why?

• If you could design any piece of clothing, what would it be and how would it be different from current fashions?

Activity: Have each girl talk about why she likes the design of one piece of clothing or one accessory she’s wearing and how she would redesign it to make it even better.

Mentor video: Sewn with Code features fashion designer Maddy Maxey, who works at the intersection of fashion and technology (2:22).

LED Dress Project: Design a ZAC Zac Posen dress that turns heads and lights up a room.

T H E M E 1 :

FA S H I O NF O R WA R D

T H E M E 2 :

F U N W I T H F I L MIce breaker questions:

• What’s your favorite animated film and why?

• What animated character are you most like and why?

• If you could create any type of animated character, what would it be/do?

Activity: Have the girls each pick one object in the room and describe how they would turn that object into an animated character as well as what that character would be/do.

Mentor video: Animated with Code features Danielle Feinberg, Director of Photography and Lighting at Pixar, who has worked on animation for such films as Wall-e, Finding Nemo, and Brave.

Inside HQ Project: Help Riley from Disney Pixar’s Inside Out solve some of life’s little problems.

Powerpuff Girls: Code can be your superpower! Animate a gif with the Powerpuff Girls.

Ice breaker questions:

• Who is your favorite singer and why?

• How has music changed since when your parents were your age?

• What three album downloads would you need to have with you on a deserted island?

Activity: Have the girls each pick one object in the room and come up with one line of a song about it using their favorite style of music.

Mentor video: Mixed with Code features Ebony “WondaGurl” Oshunrinde, who recorded beats for Jay Z’s “Crown” and has built her brand using social media (1:34).

Music Mixer Project: Mix beats in styles ranging from country to hip-hop to rock.

Beats: Make your very own soundtrack with code.

Ice breaker questions:

• What’s your signature dance move?

• Who is your favorite dancer and why?

• What is your favorite style of dancing and why?

Activity idea: Have the girls pretend they are programming a dancing robot and ask them to talk about what dance moves they’d like the robot to do.

Mentor video: Danced with Code features Miral Kotb, who merged her passions for Computer Science and dance to develop iLuminate, a dance company that uses wearable light technology to create exhilarating performances (2:28).

Yeti Project: Help Yeti put on a big show by creating a dance routine.

Dance Vizualizer: Merge dance with code to generate some next level visuals.

T H E M E 3 :

T H E B E AT G O E S O N

T H E M E 4 :

D A N C E ‘ T I L Y O U D R O P

TA L K I N G P O I N T S

Below are some talking points for introducing girls to the world of coding.

• Girls are the future: Coding gives girls the opportunity to be technical innovators. They’ll have the power to help design the cities, cars, clothing, medicine, communications and government of tomorrow.

• Coding is creative: Code is a tool that lets anyone write their story with technology. When girls code, they can expand their passions by communicating their ideas in new and creative ways.

• Girls can do things they already love with code. Whether girls go on to be doctors, fashion designers, animators, or anthropologists, their coding skills will set them apart.

• Coding is team-oriented: Girls can use their coding skills to share ideas with a team of people who are all excited about the same project. A film animator, for example, might work with visual effects designers, lighting artists, and technical directors.

• Coding pays well: Coding skills provide the opportunity for some of the highest-paying jobs you can have when you graduate from college.

N E X T S T E P S

Congrats on hosting your first Made with Code party!

Here are some things you can do to keep sharing the joy of coding:

Celebrate your success!

• Share stories, photos, and inspiring quotes from the party with the Google Made with Code team at URL TBD. If there’s a special girl that is excelling, we’d love to hear her story!

Host more parties

• Host additional Made with Code parties using the party themes from this guide, other Made with Code projects (www.madewithcode.com/projects), and mentor videos (www.madewithcode.com/mentors). You also can add projects from our educational partners such as Scratch and Sew Electric (www.madewithcode.com/other-projects).

Share on social media

• Ask girls to follow us on social media: Twitter (@madewithcode), Instagram (madewithcode), YouTube (madewithcode) or Tumblr (madewithcode.tumblr.com).

• Encourage girls to join the Made with Code Google+ Community (g.co link), which lets girls stay up-to-date on the latest from Made with Code and meet other girl coders.

N E X T S T E P S

Made with Code Ambassadors

• Contact girls from the party who seemed excited about the projects, or who expressed an interest in being student Ambassadors.

• Ask Ambassadors to talk with other girls about coding and the Made with Code website and share their experiences on social media.

• Encourage Ambassadors to join the Made with Code Google+ Community (g.co link) and to invite other girls to join.

• Ask student Ambassadors to host their own Made with Code parties.

• Share stories about these amazing girls with the Google Made with Code team at URL TBD.

Next level coding

• Let girls know they can try more projects at https://www.madewithcode.com/projects/, including activities from our educational partners.

• Give girls the website links to learn code online: code.org, scratch.mit.edu, and thimble.mozilla.org.

• Let girls know they can join an online Computer Science Club at www.cs-first.com.