What if a site for girls was actually built by girls? That’s the question AOL Inc. (NYSE:AOL) aims to answer through a unique partnership between its millennial pop-culture site Cambio, and Girls Who Code, a national organization working to close the gender gap in technology and engineering.

An internship program turned social movement, #BUILTBYGIRLS is giving five Girls Who Code alumnae the opportunity to take over social-girl brand Cambio.com ahead of its upcoming re-launch. The Girls are spending the summer driving the brand’s editorial direction and building new mobile-first products to deliver unique and compelling content to Cambio’s growing audience, while advancing AOL’s commitment to help empower the next generation of women leaders in technology.

Susan Lyne, CEO of AOL’s Brand Group noted, “We have a brand that reaches millions of young women each month. By partnering with Girls Who Code we want to encourage and empower Cambio's audience to think bigger about their opportunities, whether they aspire to be a computer engineer or an entertainment reporter. Cambio is a brand for girls – and will now be a brand that is built by girls.”

The challenges facing women in technology are real. In 1984, 37% of computer science graduates were women – today, just 12% of graduates are women1. To help address this, Girls Who Code is leading a movement to inspire, educate and equip girls with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities. AOL is a committed partner in helping the organization meet that goal through an ongoing relationship that positions Cambio as a lab for this next generation of young women.

“We need to make coding cool,” said Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code. “When young women see that products they use every day are actually built by girls, their perceptions about computer science will change dramatically. "We're proud to work with an organization like AOL and brands like Cambio which share our commitment to this crucially important mission.”

AOL and Girls Who Code kicked off #BUILTBYGIRLS with AOL’s BUILD Speaker Series, the company’s platform for storytelling at its global headquarters in New York City. During the session, Saujani spoke about the journey to creating Girls Who Code and why this partnership with AOL and Cambio is so unique in meeting girls where they are with the #BUILTBYGIRLS message. AOL will host another #AOLBUILD session – this time, putting the Girls in the spotlight to showcase what they’ve built with AOL and Cambio.

From its strong roster of women in leadership roles to its homegrown brand MAKERS, which hosts the largest video collection of women’s stories, AOL is committed to cultivating female leaders of today and tomorrow. MAKERS.com profiled Saujani last year and her story can be viewed here. Additionally, AOL works with many organizations that encourage young men and women, such as the company’s NYC-based Build Blocks of Success program that gives local students visibility into industry careers.

About #AOLBUILD Speaker Series:

AOL’s innovative BUILD Speaker Series welcomes high profile and dynamic personalities to its headquarters in New York City to share their experiences and perspectives on thought-provoking topics. AOL believes in building brands and building new ideas. #AOLBUILD features experts, thought leaders and creative disruptors from fields such as film, music, economics, media and finance.

About AOL:

AOL Inc. (NYSE:AOL) is a brand company, committed to continuously innovating, growing, and investing in brands and experiences that inform, entertain, and connect the world. The home of a world-class collection of premium brands, AOL creates original content that engages audiences on a local and global scale. We help marketers connect with these audiences through effective and engaging digital advertising solutions.

About Girls Who Code:

Girls Who Code is a national non-profit 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.

1 CRA Taulbee Survey 2011-2012