StudySoup Looking to Reverse the Drop in Women Entering Computer Science

‍Over the past several decades, women have played a central role in some of the biggest advancements made in computer science.

Mathematician and Navy officer Grace Murray Hopper helped create an entirely new computer programming language using simple English words, making computing accessible to more people. Dorothy Vaughn played an essential leading role in the transition at NASA to the use of IBM computers. And Barbara K. Liskov became the first woman to receive a PhD in Computer Science in 1968 at Stanford. There are dozens of more examples we can name just like these.

But an alarming trend has begun to emerge in the past few years. Despite massive growth in computer science employment opportunities, there has been a decline in the number of women entering the field. In fact, according to a recent report from Fortune, the number of female computing professionals has fallen by 35% since 1990. And in 2013, women represented only 26% of all computer science professionals. The report says this phenomenon is due to multiple factors including gender bias, unfair hiring practices, and poor workplace atmosphere.

And with current predictions pointing to a serious deficit in STEM professionals in the coming years, this trend stands out as particularly alarming. Speaking to USA Today back in October, Julie Sweet of Accenture commented, “The solution starts with education — we need to develop more tailored programs that appeal to girls’ interests, and take a more targeted and sequenced approach to encourage girls to pursue (computer science) related learning at each stage of their education".

To help open up doors to computer science opportunities, StudySoup is offering a $1,000 Women in Technology Scholarship to one woman who exhibits strong leadership skills and is ready to take the tech industry by storm!

To be eligible, applicants need to be an outstanding female student who is able to demonstrate a passion for computer science and programming and is actively seeking opportunities for a meaningful career in the industry.

Individuals must also be 18 years old and meet one of the following criteria:

• Currently attending high school (or equivalent) and will be attending an accredited university or college in the next academic year
• Currently attending an accredited university or college (undergraduate and graduate students are both eligible)
• Currently attending, or accepted into, a computer science and programming bootcamp or accelerator program

To apply for the StudySoup Women in Technology Scholarship, click here.

About StudySoup

The decision to attend college is an important step along many career paths, but it’s also an expensive one.

Our founders started StudySoup when they were students themselves attending college at UC Santa Barbara. They saw first-hand the financial pressures of their friends and other students around them. And they also felt frustrated by the limited resources available from the school to help them and other students succeed in class.

To them, the perfect solution was to create a platform that allowed students to ease their financial burdens while also helping their fellow classmates. With StudySoup, students can upload notes and other study materials to earn an extra income while helping classmates get a leg up in difficult courses.

Our goal is to help students develop the skills necessary to enable their development and pursue their dreams. We’re dedicated to the success of every student that uses StudySoup to learn and grow alongside their peers.

For full terms and conditions, you can read more here.