

This is a partnered post.

My interest in technology started at a young age. I’ll never forget when I was 12 and the local library got a computer with the Internet back in 1996; I walked there every day so that I could sign up for an hour on the web. My Grandma also had a computer, and I spent countless hours learning how to use it. I bought my first PC around 1998, and my parents got dial-up Internet for our house, which was the most exciting thing ever!

I am so grateful that my whole family were so supportive and encouraging of my interest in computers. I have an aunt and uncle who work in Silicon Valley, and in 2000 they bought me a top-of-the-line computer and accessories. My aunt told me recently that they did this because they saw something special in me with my interest in technology. Having that kind of support and access early on made all the difference, because the skills I learned as a teenager are what I use in my job every single day as an adult.

Dad says that my homeschooling came full circle for him when I learned how to use computers on my own as a young teen, and then taught him how to use them. Everything I know about computers is self-taught – I figured out how to code in the ’90s when I made an X-Files fan site! Because of this, I am so excited that Lenovo has teamed up with Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls to teach kids to code at LenovoGameState.com.

LenovoGameState.com is a free online portal for children 13 and up. Kids will have the chance to play free games powered by Code Combat that will teach them how to code while having fun, the same way I learned. To make it even more exciting, registering for a Code & Play Adventure by March 31st also enters kids into a sweepstakes where they could win Lenovo products or a $2,500 scholarship to a coding school. The more kids play, the more they will learn, and the more sweepstakes entries they will earn. This is a fantastic resource for young people to learn crucial skills!

Young women in particular don’t always receive the same encouragement that I did, so Lenovo and Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls is also producing a special three-part Women in Technology video series to highlight female trailblazers in tech, just in time for International Women’s Day on March 8th. The first video introduces viewers to Betty Holberton, one of the first computer programmers who worked for the US during World War II:

The next two videos will feature Tracy Fullerton, a Game Designer and Professor at USC Games, as well as Dr. Sheila Nirenberg, a neuroscientist working to treat blindness through neural coding. You won’t want to miss them, so be sure to watch and like on the Smart Girls Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. And don’t forget to register on LenovoGameState.com by March 31st to enter the scholarship sweepstakes!

Enter To Win:

To help support your children’s coding dreams, we are giving away a Lenovo Yoga Book 2-in-1 tablet to one very lucky reader! Check out the specs on this amazing device:

Slim, Light, with All-Day Battery Life – Unleash your Imagination, Anywhere.Only 4.05 mm thin when opened, weighing just 1.5 lbs (690 g), and with up to 13 hours of use on a single charge – the Yoga Book allows you to use your creativity wherever you are. Its awesome-looking design is crafted with a premium high-quality alloy of Aluminum (Al) and Magnesium (Mg).

Choose a Mode to Match Your Needs – With a hinge that opens 360º, the Yoga Book can be used in 4 modes to fit your lifestyle: lay-flat Create Mode for drawing and taking notes, Browse Mode as a compact 10.1” tablet, Watch Mode for entertainment, and Type Mode as a productive laptop.

Theater-Like Multimedia – Not only is the Yoga book great to create, it’s great to watch. This 2-in-1 tablet, features a bright 10.1” Full-HD display and Dolby Audio Premium-enhanced speakers give you an immersive, cinematic sound—putting you at the center of the action

To Enter:

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. Giveaway is open to residents of the US, UK, Mexico, and Germany, 18+, and ends on March 31st 2017 at 11:00 PM PST. Winner will be drawn on April 3rd. Please see widget for full details and click here to read our giveaway rules.