Girls Who Code Holiday Light Display Celebration

A Shining Example of Community Partnership

The partnership between NewBoCo’s Girls Who Code Club, The District, and local businesses offers students a unique opportunity to connect technology with real-world applications. “Our students are getting real-world experience in several areas of this project,” said Melissa Silver, NewBoCo’s Community Programs Manager, and mentor with Girls Who Code. “They are meeting with businesses, conducting customer discovery, creating a product using technology, and gathering together in the community with their friends and family to celebrate the light displays.” Through this project, students are building crucial problem-solving skills, collaborating with their peers, and creating a visible impact in the community. According to Silver, “We want the Cedar Rapids community to see the students as an investment in workforce, economic, and community development.”

Building Connections

Students like Ariana are learning how to collaborate on coding projects, meet challenges head-on, and build technical skills they can carry into their future, whichever path they may take: “Being part of Girls Who Code has greatly inspired me by opening up a whole new world of occupations and hobbies that I might want to do in the future. It also has inspired me that great things can only happen as long as you take your time.”

Community Impact and Future Goals

The collaboration with The District and local area businesses helps reinforce the importance of tech education in today’s world, not just for the students but also for the businesses involved. “We would love to see this program grow, and with that, we want more businesses and students to participate,” Silver said. “We want them to see themselves doing this work now and in the future, growing into leaders, and creating meaningful partnerships in our community.”

Collins Aerospace, a key sponsor of the program, shares the same enthusiasm. “Collins Aerospace is really excited to show support for STEM and diversity engagements within our local communities,” a representative from Collins Aerospace shared. “Organizations like NewBoCo and programs like Girls Who Code are a big part of bringing these skills and future career opportunities directly to young students.”

Community Impact and Future Goals

The collaboration with The District and local area businesses helps reinforce the importance of tech education in today’s world, not just for the students but also for the businesses involved. “We would love to see this program grow, and with that, we want more businesses and students to participate,” Silver said. “We want them to see themselves doing this work now and in the future, growing into leaders, and creating meaningful partnerships in our community.”

Collins Aerospace, a key sponsor of the program, shares the same enthusiasm. “Collins Aerospace is really excited to show support for STEM and diversity engagements within our local communities,” a representative from Collins Aerospace shared. “Organizations like NewBoCo and programs like Girls Who Code are a big part of bringing these skills and future career opportunities directly to young students.”

Deck Cedar Rapids with Halls of Coding

As NewBoCo is celebrating 10 Years of Impact, with not only sharing stories of the past but also looking ahead, Silver envisions a future where programs like Girls Who Code continue to grow and impact the Cedar Rapids tech ecosystem. “We hope many of our students want to stay in Cedar Rapids,” she said. “We want our students to be leaders in a robust tech and business ecosystem that has been nurtured by NewBoCo.”

As the Girls Who Code members wrap up their project, their light displays are set to brighten not only the windows of local businesses but also the future of Cedar Rapids. If you want to be a part of the celebration, join Girls Who Code Club participants on November 23 from 1-2 pm as they showcase their projects with the community.

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