What is right for you and what is expected of you are rarely the same thing. Instead of trying to find your passion or to fit someone’s narrative of what that means, know yourself, and follow what feels right.
Our mission is to prepare more college women (cis and trans) and nonbinary individuals with the education they need to succeed in the tech world. We are especially interested in supporting Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students who want to pursue careers in tech.
Explore computer programming by taking CS 111, UIC’s introductory computer science course. No experience is required — in fact, CS 111 is designed specifically for people who have no background in technology. Through fun activities with lots of teamwork, you will learn a computer programming language called Python. Break Through Tech Chicago offers sections of CS 111 that are geared specifically for women and nonbinary students at UIC who are just beginning to experiment with technology.
If you enjoy what you learn in CS 111, we recommend that you choose a tech-oriented major or minor. (You have five options at UIC!) Adding a major or minor to your academic program allows you to register for additional tech-related classes that build your knowledge and skills.
No matter which of the UIC majors or minors you choose, your second programming course will be CS 141. You may recall that in CS 111, you learn to program computers using a language called Python. CS 141 is very similar, but this time you learn a different programming language: C++. Curious what CS 141 is like? You can:
Each year, Break Through Tech Chicago selects more than 100 UIC students for Sprinternships™. These three-week micro-internships provide a gateway to future work experiences, such as full-summer internships or post-graduation jobs.
We also recommend you join the LinkedIn groups for Break Through Tech Chicago and Chicago Tech Circle.
