Girls Code the World, an educational nonprofit founded by two Bucks County high-schoolers, is stepping up its game. The program — advocating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for female students — is establishing a Board of Directors and strengthening its ability to access funding sources. John Fey discovered the developments for the Yardley Patch.

Girls Code the World was founded in 2018 by Sydney Gibbard (Yardley) and Mina Shokoufandeh (New Hope). They were both juniors then, at The Pennington School in N.J.

The pair grew up with strong, female role models — their mothers — who both had long, successful science careers. But “…we knew that was not the case for a lot of young girls in our area,” said Shokoufandeh.

Gibbard is now at Penn State; Shokoufandeh attends Tufts University; both are pursuing science/medical degrees.

Their initiative, however, carries on. The collaboration has sent 100 girls to STEM-related programs in Pa. and N.J.

SCORE Bucks County has been a steady provider of advice and encouragement.

The girls’ SCORE mentor, Linda Zangrilli, said: “Mina and Sydney proved to be two exceptional young women who can handle whatever comes their way.”

More on the progress being made by Girls Code the World is at the Yardley Patch.