Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the Building Blocks of STEM Act, H.R. 3397. Included in this bill was legislation coauthored by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) – H.R. 3316, The Code Like a Girl Act – that creates two National Science Foundation (NSF) grants to research and fund computer science programs that encourage early childhood education in STEM for girls under the age of 11.
"I'm pleased to see this legislation pass that includes language I coauthored to encourage more young girls to pursue careers in computer science," said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. "Computer science professionals are needed in almost every industry and field, and it's critical that we ensure young women have the skills they need to pursue these exciting careers."
Background:
The Code Like a Girl Act was introduced by Reps. Jacky Rosen (D-NV-03) and Elise Stefanik. It would create two NSF grant programs to encourage young girls to pursue computer science: one to understand what contributes to the participation of young girls under 11 in STEM and computer science, and one to develop and evaluate interventions in Pre-K and elementary school classrooms, with the goal of increasing girls’ participation.
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