Giving Compass' Take:

• Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani was awarded the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in education. EdSurge interviewed her to discuss the growth of her organization and her goals to close the gender gap in the tech industry. 

• Are tech experts in the field contributing to the effort to close the gender divide at their own companies? Are there internal measures being taken to expand access?

• Read about other coding projects aimed specifically at young girls to help narrow the gap.

For 30 years, the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education has been one of the most prestigious awards in the field, honoring outstanding individuals who have dedicated themselves to improving education through innovative and successful approaches.

This year, the the pre-K-12 award goes to Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code.

EdSurge spoke with Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code, about what inspires her work, her hopes for the organization and girls around the world and what she has learned about coding—as an adult. Here's an excerpt from their interview:

EdSurge: What did you have in mind when you decided to start Girls Who Code? Did you ever think about a different variation, say, Kids Who Code or something else?

Reshma Saujani: I always have been passionate about women and girls. Since the time I was young, I've been an activist in this space, thinking about how do you create opportunity and equity? How do you fight against discrimination?

One of the fascinating observations that you’ve made is that girls who get into coding start with a different question than boys do. Dig into that: What do you mean?

I think girls are natural-born change makers. When they get access to technology, they tend to ask: How can I use technology to make the world better? I see girls who say, ‘My mother is obese. How do I build an app about healthy eating?’ Or maybe: ‘My brother’s dyslexic. How do I build an app to help teach him to read?’

When girls see something in their world or face some challenge or see family or friends confront a problem, they say, 'Wow—how do I connect my coding skills to change making?'

Read the full article about Girls Who Code at EdSurge