The day began with a private tour of the Code the Road bus where the girls were able to see technology first-hand, ask questions, and get a great team photo in front of our bus.
Rebecca Moore, computer scientist and longtime software professional at Google opened the day with a presentation and discussion about how engineering and technology has changed her life. At Google, she conceived and leads the Google Earth Outreach program, which supports nonprofits, communities and indigenous peoples around the world in applying Google's mapping tools to the world's pressing problems in areas such as environmental conservation, human rights and creating a sustainable society.
The girls also heard from Disney engineer Dan Soto who introduced them to the My Disney Experience app and spoke about prototyping and everything that goes into building an app. James McGill, Engineering Manager for the Google Maps APIs gave a talk about being an engineer and how fun it is to work with code and technology every day.
The girls had a hand at and intro to coding with Made with Code where they learned the basics of iteration, counters, and more. Made with Code is a project that creates engaging tutorials to help women get interested in and learn how to code.
Once the girls had learned all about engineering and the basics of coding, we went outside into the park for a technology-focused tour of Epcot. There were five stops on this science themed exploration: Spaceship Earth, Test Track, Soarin’, Journey Into Imagination, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and the Google Liquid Galaxy.
Our final surprise was a visit from Mickey Mouse, himself, for a photo op and even a few hugs.
Although we’ve ended our 30 day journey and parked the bus, we’ll be sharing our Code the Road summary video and blog post soon.
Posted by Ashley Smith, Developer Marketing, Google Maps APIs