The presence of technology is growing part of everyday life. We need IT skills for more and more tasks in the workplace, as well in our homes. We cannot imagine a business without a company website or social media presence, or spending a day without access to online shopping and the knowledge of the internet at our fingers. Being tech-savvy is a must-have skill in any job. π
'Django Girls' is an amazing global initiative, empowering women πͺπ½ across the world and helping them to discover the exciting world of IT. And Django Girls initiative is returning to London! This spring, on the 11th of May, we are holding a free workshop in central London, in the office of the fintech startup 'Thought Machine'. This is an empowering and super fun event for women who want to discover the IT world. There will be plenty of experienced volunteers from the company who will guide you through the standard Django Girls online tutorial and help you build your very own blog π». This workshop is aimed for total beginners!
All you need to complete the workshop is your own laptop and a willingness to learn! To make the main workshop run smoothly, there is an optional setup session on Friday 10th of May from 6-8pm, where we will help you to set up your computer, and make sure you have all the right things installed. The main workshop takes place on Saturday 11th of May from 9am - 5pm. As you work through the online tutorial at your own pace, we will have plenty of experienced mentors on hand, to guide you towards a working blog. We promise you will finish the day with a first-step towards understanding websites and a new-found passion for coding!
If you have any questions, please see our FAQ section.
Who can join this workshop?
It's important to us that there is a space where everyone can feel safe and supported while learning. If you identify as a cis woman, trans, or non-binary, you are most welcome to this workshop. We recongnise that the male-dominated nature of the tech industry can create barriers for people of other genders. We understand that whether or not you feel this applies to you can be a personal and complicated question. If youβre still unsure if this workshop is for you, feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected] and weβd be happy to chat!
Do I need to know anything about websites or programming?
Nope! You don't have to have any previous coding experience at all to come along!
Should I bring my own laptop?
It would be the best if you can bring your own laptop to the event as you can take all notes with you when you leave the workshop. This way you can continue progressing on your IT skills. If you really cannot arrange a laptop, but still want to go, please send us an email at [email protected] and we will try our best to help you.
I'm not living in London, can I attend?
Please check the DjangoGirls events page as there might be a city near you that will be having an event soon! Otherwise, if you can fund your own travel to London for the event, you are welcome to attend.
Do I need to install anything on my laptop?
We will install everything together on the Friday evening before the workshop. If you can't make it on Friday, 10th of May, please see the Django Girls tutorial's installation section to check what you need to install.
Can I participate if I have low vision or am hard of hearing?
While we do not have any special facilities for attendees who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have low vision, our coaches will use text-based communication if it will help you.
Is there a wheel-chair access to the building?
Yes, there is a wheel-chair access to the building via special lift via side entrance.
Is food provided?
Yes. Lunch and drinks will be served during the workshop. There will also be a social after the workshop.
Will there be child care facilities?
Unfortunately we cannot provide child care facilities in the venue where we will be having the workshop.
Am I invited to the socials after the workshop? Is it covered by the sponsors?
We are planning a social event after the workshop. It will probably be dinner and drinks. We will let participants know the exact details of the social with the welcome email. The evening event will be partially sponsors funded.
What steps are you taking to help attendees of any gender feel safe and welcome at this workshop?
We have a Code of Conduct that everyone involved is required to follow, which means that harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. All coaches will be committed to helping create a safe and supportive space. If you have any additional concerns about this feel free to email us!
I can't attend this workshop, will there be more in the future?
Yes! There are also many other Django Girls events in other cities, check out what's coming up to see if there's one that might work for you! There will be other workshops in London, best to watch out the Django Girls page or follow Django Girls London on Twitter.
We couldn't be here without the support from amazing people and the organisations who have donated money, knowledge and time to help us make this a reality.
This Django Girls workshop is organized and sposored by Thought Machine. Thought Machine is a 4 year old fintech start-up building a core banking platform for high street banks. Thought machine as a company is comitted to sharing their passion for programming and coding. They welcome and support women who would like to expand their horizons and maybe one day join great cohort of women in technology.
We have been overwhelmed with requests to become a coach and we're absolutely delighted that everyone would like to help us! We have enough mentors now, so we are no longer accepting requests for new mentors. Please do show your support by sharing this event and other Django girls events to potential attendees!
Django Girls London is a part of bigger initiative: Django Girls. It is a non-profit organization and events are organized by volunteers in different places of the world.
To see the source for the program find us on Github: github.com/DjangoGirls.
If you want to bring Django Girls to your city, drop us a line: [email protected].