The Impact of the ‘Coding Girls’ Program on High School Students’ Skills, Awareness and Aspirations

Abstract

Abstract This article evaluates the impact of the ‘Coding Girls’ educational enrichment program designed to address the underrepresentation of women and girls in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Implemented in Italy, the program seeks to stimulate the interest of young female students in programming and science, encouraging them to consider STEM-related fields of study. Through a randomized controlled trial involving twenty-eight classes across ten secondary schools in Turin, Italy, we assess the program’s effectiveness. Our results show that Coding Girls significantly enhances the programming skills of both male and female students. Moreover, it raises awareness among students about gender disparities in STEM-related professions. While the program positively influences boys’ aspirations to pursue higher education in STEM disciplines, it does not have a similar effect on girls. (JEL codes: J16 I23)