Ladies Learning Code launching P.E.I. chapter

The P.E.I. chapter of Ladies Learning Code is being launched this month.

Emily Coffin, the chapter lead for P.E.I., describes Ladies Learning Code as a national non-profit group that provides "beginner friendly hands-on tech education to women and youth."

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It's very male driven and I think it can be a little bit intimidating for women to get involved in something that is so male-dominated ...- Emily Coffin

She grew up on P.E.I. but left the province to pursue opportunities in the tech industry. After spending four years in Toronto and getting acquainted with Ladies Learning Code there, she moved back to P.E.I. in the spring.

"I'm so excited to be able to bring this organization back to P.E.I. with me, to help grow the tech community that I'm happy to see is thriving here," she said.

Operates in 29 cities

Ladies Learning Code operates in 29 cities in Canada, Coffin said. P.E.I. is currently the only province where it does not have a presence.

Coffin said the focus is on teaching women because there is a huge gender gap in the tech industry.

"It's very male-driven and I think it can be a little bit intimidating for women to get involved in something that is so male-dominated, so we are trying to make it easier for women to get into that," she said.

"The world is very digital and technical now so having that sort of baseline is almost a requirement these days."

The P.E.I. chapter will be launched on Sept. 24 with a workshop at Startup Zone.

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