The Latest From Code Savvy - Summer is Just Around the Corner!
We just completed our busy event season here at Code Savvy and it was incredible!
Our MNCodes Virtual Summit was well attended and the feedback from guests and educators has been positive and inspiring. During that same event, we also co-hosted the CSTA-MN Regional TEA awards and celebrated some of our amazing Code Savvy computer science teachers. The Technovation[MN] season ended with a fantastic party in the park (see the recap below) and awards were given out to the winning teams for their innovative app projects. The pilot run of our Byte-Sized challenge was a huge success and we have plans to expand to even more schools in the next school year.
Now, we move into Summer, and there is no significant slowing down. We have some new board members joining our team and some awesome community events planned, so keep an eye on these newsletters and our social channels for even more information. We will also soon be launching the rebrand of our programs… 🤩 Exciting changes in the world of Code Savvy, and we can’t wait to share them all with you!
This Week’s Spotlight and Project-Inspiration Theme: Pride Month
June 1st marks the first day of Pride month! We want to celebrate those in the LGBTQ+ community and acknowledge the technological innovation they have contributed to society, while also encouraging the involvement in STEM. This week we are highlighting three LGBTQ+ STEM innovators who have created change all across the globe.
Nergis Mavalvala - Mavalvala is a Pakistani-American astrophysicist known for her work in helping confirm Einstein's theory of relativity. She self-describes as an, “out, queer, person of color” who talks openly about being a woman and immigrant within academia, but more specifically in the field of astrophysics. In 2017 she and her team were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for being the first to detect gravitational waves. She currently works for MIT as the Dean of the School of Science.
Audrey Tang - Tang is a Taiwanese free software programmer and the first Digital Minister of Taiwan. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they were in charge of Taiwan's tech-based response, this included creating an open sourced website that helped locate vaccine reservations, locations with masks, and anonymous contact tracing. In 2016, Tang became the first transgender and non-binary official in the top executive cabinet in Taiwan's Executive Yuan, acting as a Minister without Portfolio.
Angelica Ross - Ross is an African-American actor, entrepreneur, transgender rights activist, and self-taught computer programmer. She is the CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises, an organization that aims to economically empower, develop skills, and provide access to transgender and gender non-conforming individuals specifically in the tech industry. She hosted the Presidential Candidate Forum on LGBTQ issues in 2020, making her the first openly transgender person to host a presidential forum. Ross has also starred in recurring roles in both the drama series Pose and American Horror Story.
Check out these resources to celebrate Pride in STEM: