Friday, February 10th, 2012 Posted by Heather Payne
Introducing the Girls Learning Code Instructors!
I gotta say ? we are just so excited about the team of passionate volunteer instructors that have jumped on board to help us make Girls Learning Code a reality this year. I love how diverse the group is, and I?m also thrilled by just how many people who have come forward to say that they?re willing to help out! It means we?re going to have a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of campers-to-instructors for the entirety of the camp, which is going to help create a wonderful learning environment for the girls ? it means there will always be someone available to help create, debug, or just brainstorm with! It really is the right ratio for teaching beginners, and it?s even more important when your audience is kids. I?m so glad we?ll be able to give our campers the attention they really deserve so that they can all have a fun and inspiring week.
Check out the list below to learn more about the Girls Learning Code March Break camp instructors. And to learn more about Girls Learning Code (and sign up a 11-14 year old in your life!), click here.
(I?m also re-introducing myself and Laura, Melissa and Breanna, for any of you who don?t know the team behind Ladies Learning Code & Girls Learning Code.)
Heather Payne (@heatherpayne | http://heatherpayne.ca)
Ladies Learning Code Team
A graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business, Heather spent most of her first year post-graduation living in China and working towards a Masters in International Relations. That?s also where she first learned to build a self-hosted WordPress site (a blog about fitness, which she sold after a year). Upon her return to Toronto, she went corporate for a year before her desire to join a startup became too strong to ignore. In July 2011, Heather joined a Toronto-based, three-person tech startup building on the Facebook platform. Her experience there (in a non-technical role) made her even more determined to learn to program ? so that she can contribute to building something of her own one day. In July 2011, Heather founded?Ladies Learning Code, a not-for-profit startup (with a business model), and is also working on a project for the Mozilla Foundation, organizing youth-focused events and hack jams in Toronto. She also runs an after-school coding club for fifth and sixth graders. She is excited to meet the girls participating in Girls Learning Code this March Break ? it?s going to be a fun week!
Laura Plant (@lauralynplant)
Ladies Learning Code Team
Laura grew up all over Southwestern Ontario, moving around her whole life. Always ?the new girl? Laura began to understand, pretty early on, the importance of relationships and ?staying connected?. With an educational and professional background in Human Resources, Laura made the shift to the world of consulting four years ago and has not looked back. The link between technology and human relationships fascinates her. This has ignited a personal passion for exploring and helping others to learn how to leverage and evolve the technology available to us in our world today and even tomorrow. In her spare time, Laura is exploring what technology has to offer and how it can help her do her job better, much like many of Ladies Learning Code?s beginner-level students. Laura is thrilled to have the opportunity to shape the way a group of 11-14 year olds view technology, and show them that it can be a creative medium for self-expression.
Melissa Crnic (@melissacrnic | http://melissacrnic.com)
Ladies Learning Code Team
Melissa was born and raised in London, Ontario. When her family purchased their first computer, she began spending her evenings and summers coding a Harry Potter fan site (by trial and error). She then entered high school, where computer science was not promoted or encouraged, and lost touch with coding. Melissa went on to graduate from the Richard Ivey School of Business and since being part of her first startup in university, she?s realized what an advantage a technical skill set would bring. Since then, she?s always dreamed of a group for women that makes coding and tech accessible to complete beginners. Melissa couldn?t be more excited to be part of Girls Learning Code this year.
Breanna Hughes (@unbrelievable | http://unbrelievable.com)
Ladies Learning Code Team
Breanna was born and raised in a small village in British Columbia, and knew the big city of Toronto was calling her name when she started her own online business at the young age of 10. Breanna attended The University of Toronto, Computer Science and finished her degree in Information Technology Management at Ryerson University. In her spare time, you will almost always find Breanna ?Googling? anything and everything ? usually from her iPhone, reading the latest technology magazines and blogs, catching a concert, Facebooking, blogging and tweeting galore! As a woman that works in IT, she wants to help encourage other women to get involved and help make tech less intimidating and scary. Breanna is thrilled to be supporting Girls Learning Code.
Ivonne Karamoy (@invonnekn |?http://ivonnekaramoy.com)
Freelance Developer & Web Designer
Ivonne Karamoy is a hybrid designer and developer with an interdisciplinary degree in Computer Science and Fine Arts from the University of Waterloo. After graduation she moved to New York City where she worked as a designer and developer for educational game/software company, Electric Funstuff. She went on to become Art Director overseeing and leading the design and development of educational games and projects with clients such as Scholastic and WNET. In 2010, she moved back to her hometown of Toronto where she became an independent designer and developer, providing a one-woman shop for web and interactive projects. Ivonne is thrilled to be working with Girls Learning Code to help cultivate creativity in design and technology among young girls.
Emma Nemtin (@em_nemtin |?http://nemtin.tumblr.com)
Having grown up with a knack for new media and entertainment, Emma pursued studies in Professional Communications at Royal Roads University, while also undergoing a year in Sweden studying International Media and Communication Science. By accepting every opportunity she was presented, she has been able to take on such varied roles as: Logistics Assistant for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Content Researcher for PTV Productions and Creative Director for freelance written and graphic design projects for non profit organizations. ?She is currently working for Hubba and is thrilled to be teaming up with Girls Learning Code and empowering women to get involved in the tech realm. She also is known to be fond of jokes so if you know a good one, feel free to send it her way.
Ami Sangster
Grade 11 Student at Richview CI
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about many things including travelling, trying new things, and my education. When I?m travelling I enjoy the different cultures and exploring their past, and this usually brings me to trying new things. Most importantly I love computer programming because it allows me to design new programs and I think it?s fun!
Why did you get involved with Girls Learning Code?
I got involved with Girls Learning Code because the stereotype, of a very intelligent young man with glasses sitting at a computer typing, that is given to programming is very misleading and I want to help change that. A lot of my friends, who are girls, don?t realize that programming is not like a math or a science. Programming is something completely different, it allows you to play with your knowledge of problem solving and making a solution in your own way. If more girls could see that programming isn?t just random words and numbers, and that it?s actually really fun, then there would be more girls working with not only programming, but technology in general.
Xing Xu Jiang
Grade 11 Student at Richview CI
What are you passionate about?
?Music, sleeping and most of all computer science! Music is my passion during my spare time because I believe that music is the universal language in the world. Not only do i love music, but computer science is also on that list. Currently still in high school and I fell in love with programming. Programming is so much fun! But most importantly, for me it is a way that I can be creative and challenge myself.?
Why did you get involved with Girls Learning Code?
?When I first learned about Girls Learning Code, this program inspired me becuase this program made me truely believe that girls can make a difference in the world of technology. Ever since then I wanted to be a part of this program to inspire more young ladies to learn more about programming. I want more girls to believe that?they can and will rule the world of technology.?
Cristina Graci (@Cryssi996 |?http://obsessivecompulsive.me)
Cristina is a project manager by day, and a compulsive creator by night! Ever since she was a little girl she?s been in love with technology and web development. At age 12 she started creating her own websites and graphics to participate in online horse RPG?s (and yes, you can giggle a little at that!). As a kid, Cristina attended a ?website making? camp, and as you can see it made a huge impact on her life. She is very excited to have the opportunity to provide that same level of inspiration to the young girls at the Girls Learning Code camp. Cristina has been working full time in the interactive industry for 5 years now, and still has just as much passion as the day she started. She is currently pursuing a degree in Business Technology Management while working as a full time Project Manager at TPM Communications. In what little spare time she has left, you can find her painting her nails, building a website, or working on a DIY project.
Faranak Ahmadi
Computer System Technology Student at Seneca College
Faranak is a student in the Computer System Technology program at Seneca College. She moved to Toronto from Iran almost two years ago. Faranak has bachelor?s degree in computer science from a university in Iran. In addition, she has 10 years of work experience in the hardware field. Faranak is excited about joining Girls Learning Code as an instructor, and can?t wait to create an inspiring week for the 40 girls who join in.
Ainsley Lawson
Intermediate/Senior Teacher Candidate?at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Ainsley Lawson is an Intermediate/Senior Teacher Candidate studying at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. ?After graduating from the University of Toronto in Computer Science and Psychology, she worked as an eLearning Instructional Designer at Ontario Power Generation for a year, before returning to school for her teaching degree. ?Her future plans include pursuing graduate research in Psychology and Education. ?Outside of her studies, Ainsley is the executive director of a community concert band, and plays clarinet in a number of ensembles. ?She is excited to be involved in Girls Learning Code, and is looking forward to teaching in this new environment! ?You can reach Ainsley at ainsley.lawson [at] utoronto.ca.
Leizl Co
Leizl is a programmer originally from Manila. In 2010, she came to Canada for a post graduate program at Seneca College. She loves helping people and finds it fulfilling. She was hired by the college as a part-time tutor for programming courses. She also volunteered in the college especially during orientation. She went to join Palomino System Inc, a software and web solution provider company, for her internship. Now, she is excited to lend a hand for the Girls Learning Code Camp.
Diane Fajardo
What are you passionate about?
?I like learning and understanding the full capabilities of new technologies being introduced. Seeing?? something on screen that you spend so much time coding makes it worthwhile. Outside of school, my passion is dancing both ballroom and hip hop which I find quite beneficial especially in releasing stress.?
Why did you get involved in Girls Learning Code?
?I find that as semesters pass by, there are fewer and fewer women in my classes. I want to encourage more women to get more involved because I believe that women can provide a lot of benefit to the IT field ? just as much as men can.?
Lisa Hayes
Senior Editor & Project Manager at CareerMash
Lisa manages?digital content and social media at?CareerMash, an organization that helps high school students discover exciting careers in technology that are changing our world in amazing ?ways every day.?Lisa jumped at the chance to volunteer at Girls Learning Code because she believes coding can be a fun, creative way for girls to?develop a passion for working with technology.?Lisa loves that coding is part of her job because she is constantly learning new ways to use it to jazz up the design of websites.
Stephanie Bourque
Computer Programming & Analysis Student at Seneca College
A prospective open source video game programmer, Stephanie Bourque is?currently studying Computer Programming and Analysis at Seneca College.?Formerly graduating from Art Fundamentals and working as a web master?since senior year of high school, she has studied fine art and many web?based languages, giving her a unique viewpoint on both the design and?technical aspects of the industry.
Stephanie volunteers time to be a SMILE mentor at school, and has done?this for the past two semesters as well as spent much time out of school?fixing computers for meals and providing free lessons for anyone who?wants to learn a little more about computers. She believes that random?acts of kindness have a snowballing effect that spreads endlessly and is?extremely happy and excited to help out with Girls Learning Code!
Ceri Davies
Computer Programming & Analysis Student at Seneca College
Ceri spent her early childhood in South Wales before finally settling in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario. She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Ontario College of Art & Design in 2010, and often designed website layouts for fun in the meantime. She is currently a Computer Programming & Analysis student at Seneca College, hoping to specialize in either security or web development in her later semesters. Ceri writes novels under a pen name, draws frequently in her spare time, and is currently working on an online portfolio to practice what she?s learning. Web design has consistently remained an interest for her over the years, as it combines two of her passions ? art and technology.
Kelly Lara
Freelance Graphic Designer and Computer Programming & Analysis ?Student at Seneca College
Kelly is a freelance graphic designer with a passion for helping others. She has had the pleasure to work with The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) and continues to seek ways to become involved with her local communities. She is grateful to have combined her love of yoga and design by working as a marketing coordinator for an independent yoga studio last year and is excited to help reinvent the studio?s visual identity. She is currently in the Computer Programming and Analysis program at Seneca College with her sights set on immersing herself in the workforce on projects dealing with education, healthcare, and mobile technologies. Kelly is excited to be involved with Girls Learning Code ? she wishes that there was a camp like this when she was younger!
Photos and bios for the following instructors coming soon:
James Eberhardt
Gunjan Rawat
Chris Brooks-Prenger
Barbara Tassa
Thanks again to all of the amazing women and men who have signed up to be instructors at Girls Learning Code.
March Break is just around the corner now ? it?s going to be here before we know it! I can?t wait to spend the week with all of you and with the 40 campers who will be joining us. After reading about why some of the girls applying for scholarships say they want to attend Girls Learning Code, I can?t wait to see them in action, and I?m glad that they?re going to be so well-supported. Thanks again to all of you!
To learn more about Girls Learning Code, please visit http://girlslearningcode.com.
Source: http://ladieslearningcode.com/2012/02/introducing-the-girls-learning-code-instructors/
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