Attention all you girls who daydream of a place to hack the interwebs in peace: you’re going to love this. Marc Hedlund, Etsy’s VP of Engineering, announced on their site that due to the deplorable lack of females in the field of engineering, and particularly in companies like the Dumbo-based Etsy, they’ll be sponsoring $50,000 in need-based grants for summer study at The Hacker School in NYC. The founders of the school describe it as “a three-month, immersive school for becoming a better programmer. It’s like a writers’ retreat for hackers.” And Etsy is making it free to attend, including housing and meals!
The Hacker School itself is hosted this year in Etsy’s Dumbo headquarters and is free to all, but because Etsy knows what it’s like to live in New York, they’ll be providing $5,000 for living costs to 10 women who are accepted into the program. If you score a spot, you’ll be invited to tech talks, the company lunch they call “Eatsy,” and learn from Etsy engineers, among other perks.
Their ultimate goal is to have 20 females in the class of 40 students attending this summer, and to grow from there. So if you have a lady friend who has made her own kick-ass website, designed an iPhone app, or something else that makes you wonder how the hell they did that, share the news and help get your friend into an all-expenses-paid intensive hacker’s camp.
For more information and updates on the program, follow @codeascraft on Twitter.
Follow Meredith: @Mereoftheolsons.
View Comments (1)
but acid burn inspired me!! i don't hacky hack things but i am a lady programmer and have angelina jolie's badassery to thank for it.
i have made my own kick-ass website, am at this moment developing an ipad app, and i have done other things that make you wonder how i did that.
BOOM!
will check it out tho. sounds rad.