AKAM Akamai Technologies Inc

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the global leader in content delivery network (CDN) services, is pleased to announce its partnership with Girls Who Code – a national non-profit organization that seeks to inspire, educate and equip girls with computing skills for the 21^st century.  Akamai will serve as a host company for the organization's acclaimed seven-week Summer Immersion Program (taking place at Akamai from July 6 – August 21).   

This year marks Girls Who Code's largest-ever expansion of its Summer Immersion Program, from 19 programs servicing 375 girls in 2014 to 60 programs reaching close to 1,200 girls in nine cities nationwide this summer. Akamai joins companies including Accenture, Adobe, AIG, AT&T, Electronic Arts, Facebook, GE, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Pixar Animation Studios, The Honest Company, and Twitter in the critical movement to close the gender gap in the computing and technology sector.

"The imbalance in the numbers of women focused on careers in computer science, software development and Internet technologies is one of our industry's biggest challenges," said Dr. Tom Leighton, Chief Executive Officer at Akamai. "Partnering with Girls Who Code is an important step towards better preparing young women for technology jobs – an investment, we believe, that is vital to the future of technology and innovation."

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that IT will be one of the fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. economy, adding nearly 1.4 million job openings by 2020,¹ but women educated in the U.S. are only on pace to filling 3 percent of these positions.²

"The gender gap isn't just a Silicon Valley issue anymore," said Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code. "The shortage of women in technical roles, whether it's retail, entertainment or finance, is a massive crisis both in terms of innovation and socio-economic equality throughout the United States. Girls Who Code has established a successful track record of empowering girls to pursue majors and eventually careers in computer science, and we're inspired that a powerhouse organization such as Akamai has invested in taking our movement to the next level this summer."

The seven-week Summer Immersion Program teaches young women – rising high school juniors and seniors – everything from mobile app development to robotics to web design, and participants may ultimately get a chance to see their products in real life.

In addition to classroom education, girls in the program receive exposure to the world of computer science, with field trips to major companies in the media and technology fields, as well as meeting some of the top executives of technology companies. No prior coding experience is required.

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1.  The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)
2.  Computing Research Association, Computing Degree and Enrollment Trends

"We are honored to partner with important enrichment groups such as Girls Who Code," said Bhuvana Husain, Director of Programs & Operations at Akamai and group lead for the Akamai Women's Forum.  "It is a priority at Akamai to hire diverse talent, build connections to retain these employees, and to foster a community that supports professional and personal growth. We applaud the passion of the Girls Who Code initiative, and hope each of the participants in this summer immersion program find inspiration to consider a career in technology."

About Girls Who Code
Girls Who Code is a national non-profit organization working to close the gender gap in technology. Through its Summer Immersion Program and Girls Who Code Clubs, the organization is leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip young women with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities. Additional information is available at www.girlswhocode.com.

About Akamai
As the global leader in Content Delivery Network (CDN) services, Akamai makes the Internet fast, reliable and secure for its customers. The company's advanced web performance, mobile performance, cloud security and media delivery solutions are revolutionizing how businesses optimize consumer, enterprise and entertainment experiences for any device, anywhere. To learn how Akamai solutions and its team of Internet experts are helping businesses move faster forward, please visit www.akamai.com or blogs.akamai.com, and follow @Akamai on Twitter.

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SOURCE Akamai Technologies, Inc.