Code/Art Fest Marks Ten Years of Inspiring the Next Generation of Women in Tech

As a young woman pursuing a career in STEM, engineer Amy Renshaw noticed an all-too-common pattern: She was often one of only a few women in her advanced math and science courses. As it turns out, Renshaw wasn't alone in being alone. Less than one in five computer science graduates in the United States today is female.

A problem solver by trade, Renshaw set out to change those odds in her community. Ten years ago, she founded Code/Art, a local nonprofit organization that teaches girls around Miami how to code using an art-infused approach.

Some of the fruits of that labor of love will be seen at this weekend's Code/Art Fest, a tech conference and digital art exhibit held at the Miami Dade College West Campus on Saturday, March 15. Timed for Women's History Month, Code/Art Fest features workshops for students, parents, and teachers, as well as panels hosted by industry leaders. Conference partners include Xai Robotics, Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida, and Miami EdTech.

This year, alumni from previous editions will attend to celebrate the local tech conference's tenth anniversary. Many of them participated as middle schoolers and are now college students or graduates. According to Code/Art, 52 percent of students say they want to pursue computer science as their college major after participating in one of the nonprofit's clubs.

"We're seeing that what we're doing is working," Renshaw tells New Times. "[The students are] going on this pathway and enjoying it."
The conference isn't just engaging for girls interested in art and tech — it also presents opportunities to fund their projects. The All-Girls Coding Competitions Awards Ceremony, which comprises three different competitions, presents awards to 90 winners out of about 800 submissions. For the ChangeMaker Pitch Competition, three teams have the opportunity to pitch their projects to judges and win $5,000.

These opportunities are particularly useful at a time when efforts to recruit women in tech face threats on multiple fronts. Last year, the BBC reported on the global dearth of funding for organizations that support women in tech, and a Forbes op-ed outlined the impacts on U.S.-based nonprofits. The national pushback against DEI initiatives compounds the situation, particularly in states like Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis has embraced an anti-DEI stance.

Considering these challenges, Renshaw and her team are grateful for the support from parents and teachers in South Florida. Cyntianna Ortega is one of those parents. After attending the conference in 2021, she learned how to code with her daughters and is now helping them compete in competitions. She sent Code/Art feedback on that year's conference, and this year, she's leading a panel at the conference titled "Empowering Parents: Navigating the Future of Tech for Our Children."

"I think a lot of the parents are very happy to have something like this," says Romina Polo, chief programs and marketing officer for Code/Art. "There would definitely be a void if something like it wasn't around."

Code/Art Fest. 9 a.m. Saturday, March 15, at the Miami-Dade College West Campus, 3800 NW 115th Ave., Doral; 786-664-7603; code-art.com. Tickets cost $15 for adults, and admission is free for students via eventbrite.com.