Many Dojos, like the Thomson Reuters Dojo in London, run series of girl-centric events to increase the number of girls at their Dojos. CoderDojo London and Thomson Reuters teamed up in 2015 to host their first-ever all-girls Dojo. Following the resounding success of the event, CoderDojo London now run monthly girl-centric Dojos.
In their research report, CoderDojo Scotland describe the success of a summer-camp-style event they ran in Inverness: 25 girls, who had never been at a Dojo, attended five coding sessions over the course of a week. 40% of them went on to attend more than one mixed Dojo session, compared to 23% of girls returning after first attending either a single mixed or girls-only Dojo session.
Tips for running sustainable serial girl-centric events
Invite girls back to each event Your events should be fully inclusive and open to boys. It’s a good idea to hold back a set amount of tickets for girls per event to encourage gender parity.
Describe each event in a fun jargon-free way which appeals to girls of all ages.
Use images of girls participating in your Dojo in social media communications.
Encourage women to mentor and help out at the events.
Incorporate table-based activities (small groups dedicated to a specific activity), giving consideration to the content used.