Committed to Diversity

Diverse communities are strong communities.

There are plenty of training companies out there that have been doing this much longer than we have. What makes us different? It comes down to diversity. We believe that so-called Computer Science has progressed to the point where it can be accessible to everyone. It doesn’t take big-time degrees and decades of practice. If you want to do things, build things, or create things, you can do it.

It’s time that more people get involved. If you go to any general gathering of technology people, and especially programmers, you’ll see about a 9-to-1 male-to-female ratio. Among the same audience about 8 of 10 will be white. About 80% will be aged 22-40. It seems very unlikely that this is the “mix” that will create our greatest new ideas.

Not to disparage white men, the group to which I belong, but we need more women. We need more people of color. We need greater socio-economic and age diversity. We need more people who haven’t spent their lives in front of a monitor. We need more philosophers, more writers, more artists, more parents, more kids, and more community builders. Disruptive ideas don’t come from inside the community, they are born when new sparks come into the mix.

But it’s not just talk, we’re taking concrete steps to encourage diversity. Our first Ruby Jumpstart in August 2009 was open to only women attendees as an experiment. We hope to do another all-women workshop in the Fall of 2009, if there is enough demand. In September 2009 we’ll have our first Robotics Jumpstart where we will introduce young people to robotics, programming, and the scientific process. Recently, we moved from our original location to a larger office with wheelchair/elevator accessibility. Is the world changed? Not yet, but it’s a start.

We emphasize being an inclusive community. If you’re interested in learning here, you are welcome.