Monthly Archives: March 2012
Introduction to Ruby: The Mentors
We are so thrilled to bring back Dessy Daskalvov for another Intro to Ruby Workshop.
Thank you so much to our volunteer Mentors – from the bottom of our hearts. We couldn’t do it without you!
Lead Instructor: Dessy Daskalvov (@dess_e)
Developer at The Working Group
What are you passionate about? “Building things that make a difference in people’s lives.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I love what I do every day, and I want to make sure others have the same opportunity. Coding shouldn’t be a scary thing, and anyone that has a desire to get involved should be able to, without any fear. I want to see people new to the topic get really excited about it.”
Ricardo Vazquez (@rvazzquez | http://ricardovazquez.ca)
Web/Mobile Developer at MyPlanet Digital
What are you passionate about? “I am most passionate about creating meaning in everything that I do. Whether it be interactive design or development, I have always strived to instill meaning in my work. The best part of being in this community is being able to create and contribute to emerging digital technologies. Now, how exciting is that!?”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I was a designer, then it all got too static. I was a developer, then it all got too abstract. I became both, and found perfect harmony. I want to help the tech community to recruit eager minds to find their own harmony in this field. Whether it be HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, or a CMS, I want to help individuals achieve goals they never thought possible in the past. Thanks to Ladies Learning Code, it now is.”
Jack Neto (@theworkinggroup | http://twg.ca)
Partner and Senior Developer at The Working Group
What are you passionate about? “Software development.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I enjoy teaching and sharing my passion with others.”
Brian Gilham (@bgilham | http://www.briangilham.com)
Web Developer at The Working Group
What are you passionate about? “It changes on an almost daily basis! Common themes include civic engagement, open data, and the mobile web.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “To share my passion for programming with others – while support a great organization.”
R.T. Lechow (@rtlechow | http://rtlechow.com)
Artisanal Software Craftsperson at Learnhub – “I grow code!”
What are you passionate about? “Philosophy, feminism, bicycles, Free and Open-Source Software.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Software education is broken, let’s fix it! Plus, MINASWAN: Matz is nice, and so we are nice.”
Jason Cheong-Kee-You (@jpcky | mightyjupiter.com)
Agile Coach at Mighty Jupiter
What are you passionate about? “Creating sustainable software through tests.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I like Ruby, and I like being around people who want to learn”.
Vladimir Drizhepolov (@vovko | http://vovko.ca)
Web Developer
What are you passionate about? “Technology and cycling.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I enjoy teaching and sharing.”
Liam Kaufman (@liamkaufman | http://liamkaufman.com)
Self-employed Software Developer and creator of JavaScript and Ruby on Rails web applications.
What are you passionate about? “Solving interesting problems and building novel systems.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “It’s a great idea, and provides an opportunity to get more people involved in something I find interesting!”
Peter Iskandar (@PeteIskandar)
Agile Engineer, Mobile Application Development at Xtreme Labs Inc.
What are you passionate about? “There are several things that I am passionate about but the main two are music and computers/technology. I have been involved with computers since a very early age and my learning has still only just begun.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I decided to get involved with Ladies Learning Code because I wanted to help people further their knowledge in computers/coding. I think it’s a great cause and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Greg Burgoon (www.gregburgoon.com)
Agile Engineer at Xtreme Labs
What are you passionate about? “Music!”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Because coding is a useful skill!”
Mike Ferrier (@mferrier | http://mikeferrier.com)
www.4ormat.com – an online portfolio hosting solution for creative professionals. We’re a 5 person startup, so everything under the sun: mainly development but also have to do design, marketing, support and system admin.
What are you passionate about? “Harnessing technology to change lives for the better.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Because coding is easier to learn now than ever, and is a very powerful skill, but programming is still a huge sausage party — that needs to change.”
Masha Ku (@loadsofmilk)
Server side of a facebook game “Code of war” at HugeMonster Inc
What are you passionate about? “Biking, music and connecting digital to analogue.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I believe it’s a great opportunity to support and motivate more women (and not only, of course) to not be afraid of technology. Also, a great way to meet like minded people with very different backgrounds.”
Richard Gould (@u2622)
Keyboard-wielding code-monkey at GaggleUp
What are you passionate about? “Writing clean, terse code, hunting down the toughest bugs, and developing awesome things. Also: noisy electronic music, cycling, and languages.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Why not? Previously I’ve found myself being mentored by others. Now is my chance to return the favour.”
Samantha Clark (@iameltonjohn)
Technical Consultant, Student, International Spy?
What are you passionate about? “Hacking for fun, profit, knowledge, and creation. Open science, open data, open source. Personal genomics, self-improvement, technical innovation.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “To meet existing and upcoming members of Toronto’s technical community! Is there anything more fulfilling than sharing and learning?”
Ibrahim Muhammad (@ibrahimm | http://ibslab.me)
Software Developer – I write web applications for start ups at Venio
What are you passionate about? “I’m really passionate about building things, particularly things like flying robots and web and mobile applications.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Its fun to teach how easy and amazing coding can be.”
Robin Ward (@evil_trout | http://eviltrout.com)
What are you passionate about? “I’m passionate about too many things to pick just one!”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I want more people to get involved with programming!”
Paul Jara (@43n79w | http://mycitylives.com)
Director of Development at My City Lives. My job is to come up with and lead the execution of our company’s technology strategy.
What are you passionate about? “Trying to connect the dots before anyone else can.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Sharing my knowledge is the best way to reinforce and expand upon it. Any group of people willing to learn about programming at 9 am on a Saturday is seriously interested and deserves a shot at learning!”
Raymond Kao (@raykao | http://Zeusriver.com)
CTO at Zeus River, Head Janitor at TWR
What are you passionate about? “Building, Building, Building.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I’m a big supporter of teaching openly and sharing knowledge to those who are interested and willing to learn. LLC does all of this.”
Paul Osman (@paulosman | http://paulosman.me)
Developer Evangelist at SoundCloud. Depending on the day, I write blog posts, documentation, help developers with our API, write sample hacks or work on our API. Whatever helps our developer community build cool things.
What are you passionate about? “Helping people become builders.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “To help people become builders.”
Monica Olinescu (@mochromatic | http://sleekd.com)
Co-founder, Wearer of Many Hatsat Discuss.io. My main responsibility is building a kick ass feedback tool for designers.
What are you passionate about? “Using technology to make people’s lives easier.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “By the time I graduated from university there were only about four girls left in my year. I have always wondered why girls shied away from Computer Science, when there seemed to be lots of girls in other science-oriented fields. I am very excited to meet women who are interested learning how to code and share my passion for building things with them.”
Dan McGrady (@dmix | http://http://dmix.ca)
CoFounder ( Designer / Developer) of Discuss.io
What are you passionate about? “Startups.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I dropped out of business school and taught myself programming and design. I really enjoy building software. It would be great to help others learn how as well. Plus, there’s a huge demand for developers and only a short supply.”
Rick Innis (@rickinnis)
Creating the future you don’t know you want 
at Apple
What are you passionate about? “Creating the future you don’t know you want ”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I want to help people discover the joy of coding.”
Darrin Katz (@darrinkatz)
As a Web Application Developer at Shaw Media, part of my role is to write the code that allows a website to access all of the data that the users see, such as images, blogs, videos, and search results. I also architect the systems that enable our site managers to organize and retrieve all of the content they work with in an efficient and user-friendly way.
What are you passionate about? “At the risk of sounding extremely geekly, I spend a lot of my spare time on roleplaying games. I run Eberron monthly for an extremely enthusiastic group, I contribute weekly to several play-by-post collaborative stories, and the online RPG I’ve been developing for the last four years is currently in closed beta testing.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I have always loved to teach, be it peer tutoring in junior high, teaching kids how to make games at computer camp, or helping my siblings prepare for math exams. At work I’m often looking for opportunities to share knowledge, especially with other departments. And as someone who greatly enjoys programming, being a mentor at LLC is the ideal venue to teach small groups of learners how to code.”
For more info about Ladies Learning Code, follow us on Twitter or check out our Facebook Page. If you’d like to join our email list, click here or to volunteer as a Mentor, join our developer email list
Girls Learning Code by Jon Lim (@jonlim)
Check out this video created by the talented Jon Lim (@jonlim) of our Girls Learning Code March Break tech camp! It totally captures the energy. Thank you, Jon. We appreciate you!
(Oh, another treat from Jon – check out this gorgeous panoramic shot of camp!)
Girls Learning Code – March 12-16, 2012 from Jon Lim on Vimeo.
Another awesome Girls Learning Code video
Check out this video of Girls Learning Code (our March Break tech camp for girls) by Emily Halberstadt and My City Lives. Thanks to Emily and My City Lives for helping us to document an incredible week. We appreciate you!
Interview with our JavaScript Workshop Sponsor: Aaron Skonnard from Pluralsight
This is an interview with the President & CEO our March 18th JavaScript workshop sponsor, Pluralsight. Learn more about Aaron Skonnard below, or check out his LinkedIn profile here. He’s also on Twitter at @skonnard. You can also follow Pluralsight at @pluralsight.
1. Who are you?
Aaron Skonnard, President/CEO and cofounder of Pluralsight.
2. What is Pluralsight? What’s your role there? How long have you been in that role?
Pluralsight is the global leader in high-quality online training for hardcore software developers. The revolutionary Pluralsight training library provides developers with instant access to a rich collection of online training courses delivered by industry authorities. I’m one of the company founders and I’ve been working as the President/CEO for the past several years.
3. Pluralsight was founded in 2004. Have you noticed any major changes in the technology industry over the past eight years?
Yes, perhaps the biggest thing is how software technology changes faster today than it did eight years ago. Just look at the sheer number of JavaScript-based application frameworks that have come into existence over the past year or two. In addition, think about the shift towards social platforms, mobile apps, and cloud computing. We’ve been living through several disruptive technology shifts, all of which have created significant learning challenges for software developers.
We first started Pluralsight as a traditional classroom training business and we pursued that business model for the first several years of our existence. In 2007-2008, we started to notice some shifting trends around how developers would keep up with this change and learn the new technology. Developers were turning more to Google, blogs, free online videos, and other easily accessible online resources. It was at that point, we decided pivot our company by pursuing an online learning strategy that would make our professional high-quality training resources available to the masses through a cost-effective subscription model. The market responded very positively and in 2011, we decided to commit 100% of our focus and resources to a future of online developer training.
4. How do you and/or Pluralsight feel about the lack of women in the technology industry?
We wish there were more women in the technology industry, especially in the male-dominated world of software development. Although we’re starting to see more female software developers and entrepreneurs amongst our customers, they certainly remain a minority. We hope that Pluralsight can become a learning resource for women everywhere by empowering them through additional education and training that can be accessed from anywhere, anytime.
5. What are things we can do to increase the number of women in technology careers?
We need more female-focused evangelism, community, and fun learning opportunities that provide social and networking engagement. It’s always amazing to me how few female developers attend the typical dev-focused user group every month. I think Ladies Learning Code is doing some amazing work to change this.
6. What percentage of Pluralsight’s customers are women? What percentage of authors?
We don’t know how many of our subscribers are women since that’s not a data point we track today. In terms of authors, we have 5 female authors out of 60+. However, we’re constantly looking for more female authors, who are experts in their field, as they tend to be wonderful presenters and teachers. In fact, a few of our female authors tend to be amongst the most popular authors in our library.
7. Where is Pluralsight headed in the future?
Pluralsight is working hard to become the primary online learning resource for professional, hardcore developers. This year we’re expanding our library into several major content areas like Node.js, Ruby, PHP, Python, Java, Clojure, NoSQL, Amazon, Facebook, Google, and much more!
8. Why did Pluralsight decide to sponsor a Ladies Learning Code workshop?
We believe in what you’re doing. Keep up the great work!
Thanks to Aaron and everyone at Pluralsight for their support of Ladies Learning Code. We appreciate you!
Tale of a Mentor: “Why I mentor” by Peter Newhook
Entirely by accident, I came across Ladies Learning Code for the first time last summer. A Facebook post by a university friend made its way into my News Feed. She excitedly declared “I’m learning HTML & CSS this weekend!” It took me a few seconds to understand what I was reading, because I never would have guessed she had even a passing interest in development. I had no doubts about how bright she was, but I couldn’t picture her “geeking-out” – and on a weekend! After mentoring at four workshops, I’ve come to understand this sort of story is exactly why Ladies Learning Code is so exciting, and so important.
In my day job, I work with business users to build programs that make their lives easier. My absolute favourite projects to work on are when users have a clear idea what they want. To develop that concrete vision, it’s becoming increasingly important to understand technology. I think the absolute best way to come to grips with any modern technology is learning to code.
When you learn to “speak to a computer”, there’s a switch that turns on in your brain. All of a sudden, complex problems break down into bite size chunks and all the moving parts seem to move in harmony. But traditional education isn’t producing enough code-fluent users, especially among women. Ladies Learning Code manages to speak to a very talented and very enthusiastic group that up until recently, the developer community just couldn’t reach – Women that want to master their tools and have developed a deep respect for technology, but weren’t certain where to start.
When working with learners I’m always reminded of a quote by Charles Petzold, “Owning a computer without programming is like having a kitchen and using only the microwave oven.” I think over the last five years, we’ve tricked users into looking beyond the microwave, and we’ve done it with blogs. At every workshop I’ve attended the common theme among my learners has been that many of them are content creators, but they want to dig just a little deeper and personalize their digital existence in ways that require code. Ladies Learning Code provides a trusted resource these burgeoning coders can turn to. As developers, we’re well prepared to provide the guidance that first-timers need to hit the ground running. After all, we’ve been doing it most of our careers.
Plenty of Developers share. We tweet, speak to user groups, or write blog posts. We detail small tidbits of information, or snippets of code we find particularly clever. No Developer got where they are without a helping hand along the way, and we’re keen to return the favour. So instead of squirreling-away our hard-earned knowledge, a surprising number of us share secrets that in any other industry would be kept under lock and key.
We share because we know writing code is not a zero-sum game. Plenty of us started out as a lone hacker, spending countless hours in front of a monitor trying to grok new concepts. But it’s when we started collaborating that there was a sudden explosion of knowledge. Concepts that would have been almost impossible to learn on our own became clear as day when we had a team around us to rely on. Ladies Learning Code workshops are that chance for many beginners to accelerate their growth in a collaborative atmosphere, which a pair of experienced eyes watching out for common mistakes.
When we share, we’re teaching. And any teacher will tell you there’s nothing more motivating than a captive audience. If you have students that truly want to learn and absorb everything you can throw at them, it never feels like work. That sort of feedback is addicting. That’s why I keep returning to Ladies Learning Code. Every mentor I’ve met has their own reason for why they first joined Ladies Learning Code, but we all share the same reason for coming back. We’re all excited about technology, and want others to be excited as well. The excitement and enthusiasm that learners bring is so contagious that you can’t help but want to share more.
When my friend signed up for her HTML/CSS workshop she didn’t care that she was bringing a voice to the discussion that had been conspicuously absent. She just wanted to learn how to carve out her own slice of the digital universe. But by taking the first steps towards becoming more code-literate she’s helping those of us that love technology build the next generation of software.
Peter Newhook (@p337er | http://peternewhook.com)
Peter is a Business Analyst with Cineplex Entertainment in Toronto. He discovered his love for programming while studying for a BCom at McGill. Peter has mentored 4 Ladies Learning Code workshops and hopes to join them many more times.
Lead Instructor & Mentor Meet n’ Greet: A Really Fun Party!
On Wednesday evening, we met and mingled with over 100 of Toronto’s hottest, brightest and most passionate developers and designers at an event that we called the Ladies Learning Code Lead Instructor & Mentor Meet n’ Greet. An incredible group of people showed up. How lucky are we, right?
The motivation for the party…er, event? It was time to put some faces to the many names on our Developer/Designer mailing list. These are individuals who have told us they’d like to get involved with Ladies Learning Code as a volunteer lead instructor or mentor – about 300 people in total, by now. We wanted to give those curious or interested learning about what it is like to lead or mentor at a Ladies Learning Code Workshop an opportunity to find out more, in a casual and fun way. Finally, it gave us an opportunity to get together with the Ladies Learning Code “Alumni” – people who have already volunteered their time to lead or mentor at one (or more!) of our workshops. We love everyone who helps out with our workshops, and hanging out together is always fun. It’s amazing how many friendships have come out of Ladies Learning Code in such a short period of time!
However, how the night evolved was more magical than we could have hoped.
Ladies Learning Code’s former instructors and mentors (who accounted for about half of our guests) mingled and chatting with the newcomers – sharing stories, experiences, lessons, tips and tales. From what we overheard, they had pretty good things to say. This community never stops amazing us with their support, generosity, passion and friendship.
The Ladies Learning Code team had the opportunity to shake a lot of hands and share with our guests some of the progress we have made over the past 8 months – and a little bit about where we hope to go. Check out Heather’s awesome slides here or view them below:
That first number – 815? That represents the number of women (and men) who have participated as learners in a Ladies Learning Code workshop since our first one on August 6th, 2011. And the second number? 1775? That’s how many women we project will have participated in a Ladies Learning Code workshop by the end of 2012. To us, that’s a reason to party. Apparently, our guests agreed. Together we celebrated – and we can’t wait to do it again.
Thanks to our sponsor, Coral CEA, and to our host, Nascent! Thanks to you, our event was a smashing success.
If you were not able to make our event, stay tuned for more opportunities to come out! In the meantime, watch for our new blog post series, Tale of a Mentor – where some of our most fabulous mentors write about their experiences as a mentor. Check out the first Tale of a Mentor post, by Ivonne Karamoy and stay tuned for “Why I Mentor” by Peter Newhook.
And if you know anyone who wants to learn Ruby (and they’re a beginner), let them know about our upcoming “Introduction to Ruby” with Dessy Daskalov! For more info or to register, click here.
Interviewing Girls Learning Code campers!
Last week, our Girls Learning Code March Break camp was a blast! We’ll be releasing a couple videos showcasing the camp, but for now, here is a rough cut from one of them. Check out these interviews with Girls Learning Code campers:
The girls loved being interviewed! And we’re sure you agree: they’re pretty savvy, eh? We can wait to see the final version!
Intro to JavaScript: Your Mentors…
Some of you may know, Intro to JavaScript was actually Ladies Learning Code’s very first workshop ever, last August. Well, Pearl Chen is back, this time with a Co-Lead, Christina Truong , delivering a new and improved JavaScript workshop. I am excited to announce our passionate Mentors, who will be joining Pearl and Christina, supporting our learners for the day!
Co-Lead Instructor: Pearl Chen (@androidsnsheep | Google+)
From LEDs to HTML, Android hacking to micro-controllers — Pearl Chen takes on a cross-disciplinary approach to her work.
With over 8 years of professional experience in web technologies, Pearl has a body of work that ranges from Facebook campaigns for Google Chrome, microsites for Nike, and WordPress customizations for craib.com. Pearl was most recently the Research & Technology Manager at the CFC Media Lab and is now currently acting as CTO for The Hungry Veg, a startup for vegetarians that she co-founded.
Alongside her web developer work, Pearl also tackles more unusual jobs such as modifying the guts of Nintendo Wii controllers, making toys talk to her Android device, and holding electronics workshops (http://gplus.to/klab).
She can be reached on Google+ (http://klab.ca/+), on Twitter (@androidsNsheep), or old-fashioned email (pearl[at]karma-laboratory.com).
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? For my entire professional career (especially while freelancing as a web developer), I have never found myself working with another professional female developer (except once when I was involved in the hiring process). So…where are you, ladies? What scared you off? I hope Ladies Learning Code will help me answer this.
Co-Lead Instructor: Christina Truong
(@christinatruong |
http://christinatruong.com | http://www.teehanlax.com/author/christina/)
She is currently at Teehan+Lax, digital experience agency, where she is a Front End Developer and occasional blogger.
Christina Truong has been in the web industry for 5+ years. She has agency experience working for major brands such as Virgin Mobile, Bell, Home Depot, KFC and Holt Renfrew as well as freelance work with small businesses and personal websites. She has participated in the initiative to encourage more women to join the technology field by volunteering for Ladies Learning Code as a guest speaker, mentor and now as an instructor.
Cecily Carver (@cecilycarver | cecilycarver.tumblr.com)
I’m the social and interactive media co-ordinator, managing the COC’s online community of fans. But I also have a computer science degree and a professional background as a .NET software developer, most recently with Infusion Development in Toronto.
What are you passionate about? “Opera, the arts, creativity in all forms – including technology.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “As a women involved in the technology community (both professionally and as the co-founder of Dames Making Games, a community for female game developers (aspiring, indie, and professional), I deeply support the mandate of Ladies Learning Code. I also love showing people that coding doesn’t have to be intimidating – that it’s both powerful and fun!”
David Misshula (@davidmisshula)
WebSphere Commerce Consultant – Work with clients building and customizing their online stores at IBM
What are you passionate about? “The bridge that binds people to technology.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Being around people who want to learn is electrifying. It spawns creativity and build meaningful relationships. LLC has provided a platform for amazing things to come to life!”
Lorne Lantz (@Lornestar | http://www.snap-pay.com)
Founder and Janitor at Snappay
What are you passionate about? “Creating a better way for people to buy & sell stuff.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I think the technology world would be more effective if you had more balanced teams of programmers….Plus I love passing on the many years of programming knowledge I’ve gained.”
Phyliss Lee (@phyllers | http://phyllers.wordpress.com)
Research Technician at the Princess Margaret Hospital
What are you passionate about? I’m passionate about getting more women in technology and engineering, but also interested in human computer interaction and user experience design.
Why did you decide to get involved with Ladies Learning Code? I think that it’s important for more women to to get into technology and engineering. As a teenager I was told that I shouldn’t go into computer science because it was all men, but being female shouldn’t be a limitation on what I can and can not become. In a graduating high school class of 80 young women, only 5 went into a technical (engineering or computer science) field. I want to see more women becoming software developers and engineers.
Kate Murphy (@kategeek | http://www.kategeek.com)
Software Developer at Konrad Group
What are you passionate about? “Education outside the classroom.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Learning and teaching is super fun and rewarding. Also, selfishness! I want more ladies in the industry.”
Carlo Costantini (@fifteen3 | http://www.carlocostantini.ca/)
Developing solutions to problems usually with code at Bensimon Byrne
What are you passionate about? “Being efficient, learning/understanding, rowing.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Nothing is more rewarding than working with people who are genuinely interested in something, especially when you yourself are interested in it.”
Peter Newhook (@p337er | http://peternewhook.com)
Business Analyst at Cineplex Entertainment “I split my time between automating forms and workflows using SharePoint and designing reports and visualizations that provide new ways to look at numbers.”
What are you passionate about? “Making enterprise software usable and enjoyable. When I’m not in front of a monitor, I’m finding a way to get on a bike.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Women are going to look at problems differently than men will, and come up with different solutions. As an industry we need more well trained women writing code.”
Yang Yu (@Mryangyu)
Product development, business development at wishhaha inc.
What are you passionate about? “I’m passionate about creating value in society through innovative and user friendly social technologies.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Women are really great coders and most just dont realize it to be part of this movement and add value back to the community is an opportunity I can’t miss. Plus sharing what I have learned through my journey in this space to better others is just an awesome thing.”
Dmytro Yashkir (@dyashkir | http://dyashkir.com)
Senior Mobile Application Developer, also making things work on server (Node.js, mongo, redis)at Tenfour Labs
What are you passionate about? ”Building products, coding/programming of any kind, startups, minimalist running, good beer, TFC.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I enjoy teaching, chance to help people who motivated to learn is an amazing opportunity.”
Christina Almeida
Web Developer at Flight Centre Inc.
What are you passionate about? “Reading, Watching great movies and coding 
”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I thought this would be a great way to help movtivate and mentor woman so that there will be more of us in this industry.”
Ruhee Dewji (@ruhee_ | http://ruhee.ca/blog)
New Media Developer — I write a lot of JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS3 for biomedical apps for iPad! — For InVivo Communications
What are you passionate about? “I’m really into finding out what people are good at and enjoy and learning from them. I think people are fascinating and they’ve always got stories and ideas to share.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I’m a lady who codes (and who is still learning code!) and I think it’s really important to have more women in the industry. Balance is always healthy, and the female perspective is just as valuable and necessary … and coding is really, really fun. Making stuff work and do what you want it to do is immensely satisfying (and cool).”
Liam Kaufman (@liamkaufman | http://liamkaufman.com)
Self-employed Software Developer and creator of JavaScript and Ruby on Rails web applications.
What are you passionate about? “Solving interesting problems and building novel systems.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “It’s a great idea, and provides an opportunity to get more people involved in something I find interesting!”
Gavin Lobo (http://www.rabidgeek.net)
University of Ontario Institute of Technology, grad student, research assistant, tutorial instructor
What are you passionate about? “Teaching, Science, Mathematics and Programming”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Coding is so much fun! More women should get involved!”
Emir Hasanbegovic (@PhiGammEmir | http://www.emirweb.com)
Agile Engineer at Xtreme Labs Inc.
What are you passionate about? “I am all about developing core infrastructures that can be used as tools over and over again. Building stronger application cores allows for better end-user experience and development tools. I love to look at technology from the inside out.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I strongly believe in the power of learning. Learning is super, super fun and I want to help others have the same experience with learning technology as I have.”
Gerry Power (@gerrypower)
ZooTech Keeper for zoocasa.com and homerenovationguide.com at Rogers Ventures
What are you passionate about? “Technology, continuous learning, motorcycles, sailing and passionate people.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “So happy to support people in our community that want to learn and experience technology!”
Martin Crawford (@bemisguided)
Director, Delivery at Bruze Marketing Inc
What are you passionate about? “Music and code.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I think its a good idea to get woman involved in programming. It’s a supportive approach. ”
Amanda Rae Arseneau (@AmandaRaeCA)
Student/Freelance – Code Monkey
What are you passionate about? “Learning, teaching, loving.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “As a current student, I know how important it is to have passionate instructors, mentors and learners – and LLC offers all that and more!”
R.T. Lechow (@rtlechow | http://rtlechow.com)
Artisanal Software Craftsperson at Learnhub – “I grow code!”
What are you passionate about? “Philosophy, feminism, bicycles, Free and Open-Source Software.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Software education is broken, let’s fix it! Plus, MINASWAN: Matz is nice, and so we are nice.”
Vladimir Drizhepolov (@vovko | http://vovko.ca)
Web Developer
What are you passionate about? “Technology and cycling.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I enjoy teaching and sharing.”
Jonathan Hernandez (@jahndez | http://littleroom.ca)
Senior Web Developer at Littleroom Inc.
What are you passionate about? “Videogames. Also learning new things, creating amazing applications that are simple to use.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a team of great people and learn a lot along the way from them. Ladies Learning Code is a great initiative that wants to do away with the preconceived notion that programming can be difficult to get into. It’d be great to be able to give back to the community and get more people introduced to some useful and very important tech.”
Meaghan Bent (@dbldnm | http://www.meaghanbent.com)
Front-End Web Developer and API specialist at Filemobile
What are you passionate about? “Empowering people to create tools that help them in the real world.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I got involved with Ladies Learning Code because I wanted to meet other women in the industry I have worked in for a decade, predominantly with men.”
Julia Liu (@JuliaYunLiu | www.JuliaYunLiu.com)
Business Anaylst at Ministry of the Attorney General
What are you passionate about? “UI / Accessibility / Usability / Design Trends /… Travelling and learning about new people & places are great opportunities for me to pursue my passion for photography.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “I’d like to share my expertise and knowledge.”
Alan Harnum (@waharnum )
Lead front-end developer for the library’s web site, along with lots of miscellaneous consulting on web-based services at Toronto Public Library
What are you passionate about? “Literacy and learning.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “Encouraged by coworkers who’ve taken LLC courses. ”
Kelowna Vincent (@kelowna | http://kelownavincent.com)
Freelance Web Design, Development, Strategy
What are you passionate about? “Problem Solving, Working with a team that feels like a family.”
Why did you get involved with Ladies Learning Code? “The building of confidence is critical in the tech field for women and I think Ladies Learning Code provides an easy, fun entrance to coding that will excite and educate ladies of all ages!”
Big thanks to each and every one of these wonderful people.
For more info about Ladies Learning Code, follow us on Twitter or check out our Facebook Page. If you’d like to join our email list, click here or to volunteer as a Mentor, join our developer email list
Tale of a Mentor: By Ivonne Karamoy
I first discovered Ladies Learning Code late in the fall of 2011. I had read some articles about the decline in enrollment among females in Computer Science and Engineering programs. Having been one of a handful of females in my University classes, I thought things must have changed since then and I was worried to hear otherwise.
I stumbled through the internet and twitterverse to find someone who might be doing something to change things and encourage our girls to understand the role of technology in achieving their creative ideas. That’s when I discovered Ladies Learning Code. I contacted Heather, the founder of Ladies Learning Code (LLC), through twitter and asked her whether she had any plans for programs targeted for young girls. She had some ideas and when we met up she discussed the first ever Girls Learning Code camp coming up this March Break. I instantly knew I wanted to be involved!
LLC is run by instructors and mentors, male and female, within the industry who volunteer their time to teach women (and men) programming. Why do they do it? I suspect that, like me, it’s because they love what they do, love that others are interested, and want to encourage more people to learn from it and use it in their own creative way.
My first time mentoring at a LLC workshop was at the WordPress workshop led by Wes Bos in January. The workshop was held at the Centre for Social Innovation which is a fantastic space that is open and inviting. All the mentors, instructors, LLC core team and volunteers helped to set up the space with everything we needed to get the workshop running. Each table had one or two mentors ready to greet the participants. LLC has a 1:4 ratio of mentors and learners at each workshop which allows learners to have more targeted support throughout the day. They can ask questions and get immediate feedback on their work as the day progresses.
What I found upon meeting the learners is that they were so excited and eager to learn. They each had different reasons for coming: some needed to learn WordPress for their new or current jobs and others were considering starting their own blog when they retire. In other workshops, many of the participants worked with developers and/or designers on a daily basis and wanted to learn the technology to be able to ‘speak’ with their colleagues and understand what they do and their process better. As a designer and developer, I was pleased that these colleagues would take an interest and find the value of understanding our methodologies.
A workshop day with LLC is long but covers enough content which could span weeks in most other classes. It may seem overwhelming but it provides so much value to the learners.
Since that WordPress workshop I’ve volunteered at two others (so far). The second was the Intro to HTML/CSS workshop held in February lead by Mark Reale. I was thrilled to see a couple of returning learners who I had mentored at the WordPress workshop. They wanted to have a better foundation of HTML/CSS so they could support the WordPress knowledge they gained in the previous workshop. It was extremely encouraging and validating to see just how much they valued the workshops and really apply it.
My third workshop as a mentor was the Into to Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign workshop held in February which was the first design workshop LLC had run. This time it was at George Brown School of Design and the structure of the workshop was changed slightly to allow for more focused learning of the design tools used in our industry. George Brown has amazing facilities for this sort of workshop. Each participant had their own iMacs to use for the day which got everyone excited. There were four lead instructors and 25 Mentors! Together they taught the learners how to create a moodboard for their personal brand. This involved creating a logo, a profile picture, a facebook timeline picture and a twitter background. What was great about this workshop was each of the learners walked away with a moodboard that was designed by them and for them. Each lead instructor taught one aspect of the moodboard and how to use the design tools to create a particular piece. The learners were thrilled to come away with specific items that they could use right away. Admittedly, some of them had a deeper appreciation for design and what designers do on a daily basis.
The mentors who volunteered at this particular workshop were designers rather than the developers in other workshops, though many in our field are hybrid designer/developers. Amazingly, many of them were participants at other programming workshops and enjoyed it so much that they turned the tables and volunteered to be mentors themselves for this workshop! That exchange of ideas and the concept of giving and receiving is one of the remarkable things about the LLC community.
Most of the mentors that I have met are involved in the industry not just through LLC but a variety of other means. They are passionate about what they do and are thrilled to help teach others who are interested. As mentors, we know that the people we will be teaching are eager, excited and ready to learn. It has been one of the most rewarding things I have done. Not only have I been able to help someone learn a new skill that they were interested in, but I get to meet other people outside of our field who appreciate what we do as designers and developers. Of course, I also get to meet fantastic instructors and mentors who come from all aspects of our industry: developers, designers, content writers, project managers, entrepreneurs, the list goes on. As a freelance designer and developer it is extremely rewarding to step out of my home office and meet other designers and developers who I can collaborate with and learn from. I also get to be involved in the development community and make contacts while helping others. It’s the type of developer community that I longed for in school; one that is passionate, collaborative and compassionate.
I look forward to mentoring at more LLC workshops and am particularly excited to be an instructor at the first Girls Learning Code camp that LLC has designed for March Break. I encourage anyone who is a part of the development and design communities in Toronto to get involved with LLC. I think it will benefit both male and females in our industry to encourage more women of all ages to consider technology as a creative means for their ideas. Whether you want to be a learner, a mentor or maybe both, you’ll benefit from the atmosphere of learning and collaboration that LLC workshops have to offer. For the professionals in our industry, you can help and share your passion for what you do with some willing and eager students!
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 Ladies Learning Code to help cultivate creativity in design and technology among women and girls.
The JavaScript Quiz
Ready to find out if you know enough to be able to attend our JavaScript workshop?
The Ladies Learning Code “Are You Ready for JavaScript” Quiz
Given the HTML/CSS snippet below, can you answer these 4 questions?
1. What is the font size of the first header with the text “Welcome to Ladies Learning Code!”?
2. What color is the text “Introduction to JavaScript”?
3. Name the two class attributes found in the code snippet.
4. Name the one id attribute found in the code snippet.
5. Advanced question: How is a ‘class’ different than an ‘id’?
You don’t need to share the answers or anything…this is just our way of helping you to assess whether you’ll enjoy our upcoming JavaScript workshop. We’ll definitely be offering it again, so if you are still a beginner when it comes to HTML & CSS, stay tuned! That workshop will be back again before you know it.