GM, Black Girls CODE Celebrate Launch of Detroit Chapter

September 13, 2017 /3BL Media/ - General Motors and Black Girls CODE (BGC) today announced the launch of a BGC Detroit chapter with a series of hands-on and engaging activities at Detroit International Academy for Women (DIA), a Detroit Public Schools Community District school, and TechTown.

• STEM students from area colleges and universities will attend a panel discussion with BGC CEO Kimberly Bryant and GM Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing Alicia Boler Davis, moderated by GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra.
• DIA students in second through sixth grades will work with Black Girls CODE and GM employee volunteers to operate the BGC Robot Spiro to help build and race their own toy cars.
• DIA students in seventh through 12th grades will hear perspectives from a founding BGC member and young STEM professionals from GM and DTE Energy.

According to the Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit outpaces the nation in information technology job growth and is expected to continue the pace through 2025. This partnership, announced alongside four other computer science partnerships in June, aims to increase interest in STEM career fields for girls of color. Women of color are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields, especially in technology. Only 3 percent of African-American women and less than 1 percent of Latinas receive degrees in computer science.

“We’re on the forefront of electric and self-driving cars and connectivity that allows our vehicles to communicate with each other — and, with all that innovation, today’s cars have millions of lines of code,” said Barra. “It’s one of the reasons that it’s our mission to help build the next generation of STEM leaders, with an emphasis on expanding opportunities to women and other underrepresented groups.”

BGC will host a meet-and-greet from 6-8 p.m. today at the Michigan Science Center. The event is a chance to learn more about BGC and upcoming local events and meet the BGC Detroit chapter team and volunteers.

"Although we've hosted workshops in the area off and on since 2012, we are thrilled to officially launch a Black Girls CODE chapter in Detroit with the support of GM and other corporate and community partners like Comcast and Wayne State University,” said Bryant. “Our regular programming, launching this fall, will lay a foundation to fully engage girls of color in Detroit and is designed to inspire them to continue their paths as future STEM professionals.”

In addition to the programs announced today, GM will have committed more than $10 million by the end of the year to advance and improve STEM education. GM employees have also volunteered more than 48,700 hours to STEM-related nonprofits this year.

For more information about BGC student workshops and events, visit http://www.blackgirlscode.com/programsevents.html

For more information about BGC volunteer opportunities, visit
http://www.blackgirlscode.com/volunteer-signup.html

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM, TSX: GMM), its subsidiaries and joint venture entities produce and sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang and Wuling brands. GM has leadership positions in several of the world's most significant automotive markets and is committed to lead the future of personal mobility. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.