Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) will host 20 New Jersey high school girls who are participating in a seven-week Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program. Girls Who Code is a national non-profit organization working to help close the gender gap in computing and technology by inspiring, educating and equipping girls with computing skills for the 21st century.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Girls Who Code. The organization’s dedication to helping prepare young women for careers in technology mirrors our commitment to help build the next generation of IT leaders, not just for the technology sector but also for corporate America,” said Barbara Koster, senior vice president and chief information officer at Prudential. “Helping to inspire young women to consider careers in technology will add to the pipeline of technology professionals and help create a more diverse technology workforce in the near future.”

In 2014, Koster was named one of STEMConnector’s 100 Corporate Diverse Leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Under Koster’s leadership, Prudential has been named one of Computerworld magazine’s Best Places to Work in IT for several consecutive years.

“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 Prudential has invested in taking our movement to the next level this summer.”

According to Girls Who Code, women make up a majority of the American labor force, but they only hold 25 percent of the jobs in computing and technology. It is estimated that by 2020, there will be 1.4 million jobs available in computing related fields, but women educated in the U.S. are on pace to fill only 3 percent of them.

Beginning July 13, the girls – rising high school juniors and seniors – will be onsite at Prudential’s Newark headquarters for a seven-week program that will include topics such as mobile app development, robotics and web design. 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. The program will continue through the end of August when the girls will make a technology presentation at a special graduation ceremony.

Prudential’s partnership with Girls Who Code reflects the company’s focus on talent excellence and its commitment to developing the next generation of diverse leaders. Technology and business professionals at the company have volunteered to act as mentors to the girls during the seven weeks they will be on site at Prudential. In addition, several field trips and special activities have been planned for the girls, including a visit to Liberty Science Center, a tour of the Newark Police Department’s Command Center, and a meeting with Dr. Mae Jemison, the first female African-American woman in space and founder and president of two medical technology companies.

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.

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU), a financial services leader with more than $1 trillion of assets under management as of March 31, 2015, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com.

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