‘Random Hacks’ program founder to speak at Women’s Forum

LITCHFIELD — The Women’s Forum of Litchfield welcomes Patrice Gans to speak on the subject of computing coding and STEM especially for young girls.

Gans is the founder and executive director of Random Hacks of Kindness Junior , a non-profit organization that provides students in grades 4-8 an opportunity to collaborate with computer science mentors and community subject matter experts to prototype innovative technical solutions for local non-profit organizations’ real-world challenges.

Since the incorporation of RHoK Jr in 2015, Gans has hosted 60 hackathons throughout Connecticut and New Jersey. In turn she has trained 500 high school students as computer science mentors, partnered with close to 400 community nonprofits and inspired over 2000 4-8th grader girls and boys to code for social good.

As a non-profit, RHoK Jr. offers computing opportunities to ALL students. The model for combining computing with social good is also a way to engage girls in the STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics) field. Many studies have shown that girls are drawn to learning that is socially relevant.

Prior to launching Random Hacks of Kindness Junior, Ms. Gans taught computer science at Fraser Woods Montessori School in Newtown, CT. She has served on the board of directors of the Computer Science Teachers Association as their national K-8 representative and has written numerous blog entries about her experiences teaching computer science at the elementary and middle school level.

The program will be held at Litchfield Community Center, 421 Bantam Road in Litchfield at 2:30 p.m. May 5. The event is open to non-Forum members with a $10 fee at the door

For more information call 860567-3966 or go to womensforumoflitchfield.org