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Jada Probst is a junior at Providence Day and taking college-level, or Advanced Placement (AP), courses in computer science.

She founded the school’s AI (Artificial Intelligence) club and interned at LEADTools, a local software development company. She originally took AP computer science to fill a school credit but quickly fell in love with the subject.

“I loved how you can blend your creative and logical skills, and while there's a very high commitment, the payoff is so worth it,” she says. “I love creating new things where I'm completely in control of all aspects and get to make something I'm really proud of. 

“More girls are getting interested in [computer science] because there's so many different classes that interest so many types of people at Providence Day. There's honestly a [computer science] class for everyone, whether you want to create video games or are focused on building computers.”

College Board acorn logo white on black and College Board AP logo white on blue

Providence Day’s offerings and the way it’s making the subject more attractive to women has earned the school the College Board’s AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. Providence Day is one of 834 schools across the nation recognized for expanding young women’s access to AP computer science principles. 

The honor recognizes “the outstanding work your school is doing to engage more female students in computer science,” the College Board says.

“The key thing we’re doing is we have great teachers who are approachable,” says James Reeder, the Computer Science Department Chair. “Classes are accessible to everyone. They’re not really homework-heavy. The word gets out, and everyone wants to take our courses.” 

Gender parity is important in computer science education, according to College Board research, because women who take AP courses in high school are more than five times as likely to major in computer science in college. 

Overall, female students remain underrepresented in high school computer science classes nationwide, accounting for 34 percent of AP Computer Science Principles participants and 26 percent of AP Computer Science A participants. 

But at Providence Day, the number of female students taking computer science classes has doubled over the last several years.

It’s “empowering.”

Catherine Dwyer, a junior, took an introductory coding course in Middle School and has learned to appreciate the problem-solving aspects of computer science. 

“The fact that somebody can ask me to solve some sort of problem or create a program that does something, and I have the ability to create it, is empowering,” Catherine, who runs Providence Day’s Girls Who Code club, says. “More girls are getting interested in computer science because of the variety of courses that are offered here at school. On top of that, as computer science is becoming more relevant, it is more talked about at school in general and it is catching the attention of girls that already love STEM and want to try something new.”

Rebecca Roemer is a computer science teacher in her sixth year at Providence Day. Her interest in the field began because she wanted to “push the box walls out.” More and more female students are taking her classes.

“I don’t have a secret formula; I’m just me,” she says. “I believe in what I teach. I’m passionate about it. Hopefully, it shows I care, and they feel inspired. “I really love giving them an outlet for being creative in a different way,”

Ms. Roemer believes Providence Day’s success in drawing more diversity in its computer science classrooms comes down to word of mouth and the students empowering themselves.

“[We have] girls who started a computer club that is an exclusive girls club,” Ms. Roemer says. “They get excited, and that excitement spreads. It’s contagious. I feel like we’re debunking the stereotype that mostly boys take these classes. If you sign up for a class here, you’ll see [diversity].”

A vital field

The first year of AP Computer Science Principles in 2016-17 attracted more students than any other AP course debut, and participation is on the rise, according to the College Board. In 2023, 164,505 students took the AP CSP Exam—more than triple the number of exam takers in the course’s first year. In 2023, 55,572 women took the AP CSP Exam, more than four times the number who tested in 2017.

The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $100,530 in May 2022. Women represent just 24 percent of the five million people in computing occupations. 

“It’s been heartening to see schools like Providence Day welcome so many more young women into this vital field,” Trevor Packer, Head of the AP Program, says.


(l-r) Catherine Dwyer '25 with Dr. Glyn Cowlishaw and Rebecca Roemer teaching a student.
(Top photo) AI guest speaker Mark Chaniot, VP & General Manager at Microsoft, with Jada Probst '25.
(Bottom photos l-r): Catherine Dwyer '25 with Head of School Dr. Glyn Cowlishaw during a National Honor Society Induction Ceremony; and Rebecca Roemer assisting a computer science student.