Diversity is a hot-button issue in the tech industry.
Systemic gender inequalities have shaped the industry writ-large, especially when it comes to STEM-centric jobs.
In New York City, tech companies are working hard to combat this, from creating more opportunities for women in leadership roles to reassessing how we measure diversity.
This week, web development bootcamp Flatiron School partnered with digital media site Bustle to extend over $100,000 in scholarship money to Flatiron School’s Online Web Developer Program. In total, Bustle and Flatiron School will award 25 women 50 percent scholarships, cutting tuition for the develop program by $750 per month.
The new partnership comes as part of Flatiron Schools Women Take Tech initiative, which aims to provide more opportunities for women software engineers, who hold currently only 26 percent of software engineering jobs within the tech industry.
Scholarship recipients will complete Flatiron School’s online program, as well as participate in exclusive mentorship sessions on developing their voice with writers and engineers at Bustle.
We caught up with Flatiron School’s COO Kristi Riordan and Bustle’s Editor-in-Chief Kate Ward to find out more about the inspiration behind the partnership, as well as how the program will ultimately help graduates secure jobs in media.
You can apply for the program here.
How did Flatiron School and Bustle’s new scholarship come about?
Kristi Riordan: Bringing more women into technical careers through coding education is core to our mission, but we can't do it alone. One of the biggest barriers to women pursuing a career in tech is their lack of familiarity with and perception of the diverse career they can have. We need partners like Bustle, with a strong platform and voice for women, that can help tell the vivid story of women in tech.
Beyond contributing over $100,000 in scholarships to our Women Take Tech initiative, Bustle writers and engineers have committed to providing mentorship sessions to winners and will co-host an event at Flatiron School on the intersection of tech and media. As a media site for women, by women, Bustle will help us shed light on the varied careers and roles that women can apply their technical skills to, empowering women to boldly imagine their future.
Kate Ward: It's no secret that Bustle's mission is to support women. And as we continue to live up to that mission online, a partnership with the Flatiron School enables us to provide real-world support to promising women looking to find success in an industry that is still male dominated. We look forward to seeing students from the Bustle and Flatiron School partnership to make a real impact in engineering and media.
Why do you think it's important for women to pursue technical careers in media?
KR: Media informs us as citizens and entertains us as people. Storytelling is crucial to our society and technology has become the fuel for its fire — enabling faster production, distribution and integrated content, data and visualization. As technological change continues to reinvent the media industry, women must have a voice in what stories are being told, as well as how they’re being told, in this rapidly changing environment.
KW: The more women's voices populate any industry, the better. Media, however, provides a unique opportunity, allowing women's voices and perspectives to be broadcast beyond their teams and companies. Media allows women to be heard across the country, and there's no more important time for people to listen.
What are you looking for in scholarship applicants?
KR: We look for individuals who are personally motivated to succeed in this program and have a passion for the art of programming. Learning to code is incredibly rewarding and challenging. We like to understand what type of free resources applicants have already tried (we offer several free courses) and why an applicant is interested in learning to code. This scholarship will also include mentorship from Bustle’s engineers and writers, so having an interest in digital media is a plus.
What is the ultimate goal for graduates from this program?
KR: Our goal is to empower women to learn a skill that will lead to a purposeful career and financial stability. Coding can be deployed to solve problems in virtually any field or company. We want women to be able to picture themselves using those skills — whether at a tech company like Google, a digital media company like Bustle or virtually any other field where these women might take their career.
Up until now, how has Bustle fostered diversity on its tech team?
KW: In tech, the gender gap continues to be distressingly wide. We've actively sought to shrink that gap within Bustle's walls. We will always seek to hire more diverse voices to represent the diverse readership that comes to Bustle every day.
In what ways will Bustle uniquely help students at Flatiron School?
KW: Since Bustle launched in 2013, we've been passionate about fostering mentorships between our editors and our writers. Bustle's partnership with Flatiron School extends that commitment, allowing team members from our engineering and editorial teams to provide guidance to those just beginning to learn the ins and outs of the industry. We look forward not only to helping develop talent, but honing our own mentoring skills by discovering what interests students most about media and its future.
Image via Flatiron School.
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