On Monday afternoon, a “codeathon” organized by the White House Council on Women and Girls allowed four South Lakes High School seniors visit the White House. The students represented the Mid-Atlantic Girls Collaborative (MAGiC) and the National Girls Collaborative Project at the White House Codeathon with their attendance.
Nicole Rappaport, Abby Studen, Becky Oswalt, and Tatevik Markaryan participated in what Todd Park, Assistant to the President and U.S. Chief Technology Officer, called the “first Codeathon in White House history.”
This event matched more than thirty girls from D.C. area middle and high schools were with professional developers and coders to brainstorm an app creation that promotes civic education and/or inspires girls to serve as leaders in our democracy.
“We need girls at the leadership table and we need to support them early and often,” said Executive Director of Running Start, Jessica Grounds.
“It was inspiring hearing from White House staffers and other professionals who are so passionate about making changes to help girls participate,” said Nicole Rappaport, South Lakes High School senior class president. Rappaport and her group worked on an app to link girls to female role models.
This App Challenge, currently open for more student entries until January 12th, 2013, is part of the Equal Futures Partnership that President Obama launched in September 2011 at the United Nations General Assembly.
Below are more pictures from the event:
