Women in Computer Science Pre-College Camp Scholarships
Why This Project Is Important
Did you know that by 2018, there are expected to be more than 1.4 million available jobs in the technology sector in the U.S., and at the current graduation rates of computer science students only 69 percent of those jobs will be filled, and of that total only 29 percent will be women? (USA Science and Engineering Festival) According to the National Center for Women in Information Technology, in 2010 only 18% of computer and information science graduates were women, down from 37% in 1985. Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency also show the downhill trend continuing - 17.4% in 2012.
Project Description
Scholarships provide opportunities for high-achieving young women in grades 9-11 to experience different areas of computing - from programming to artificial intelligence, data mining to virtual reality, and more. For many of these students, your donation will create an opportunity to discover their own potential for success in information technology and computer science career fields.
In addition to exploring the science of computing led by Michigan Tech Computer Science Professor Dr. Linda Ott, staff, and graduate students, participants will:
- Learn about the many career opportunities in computing.
- Explore job prospects in a wide range of industries.
- Interact with Michigan Tech alumni and role models working in CS fields to get firsthand accounts of the diverse careers in computing.
- Experience college life—stay in a residence hall, explore campus, and meet other young women with similar backgrounds and interests, and explore the beautiful Keweenaw.
This program needs your sponsorship to provide opportunities to as many future computer scientists as possible. Students applying for WiCS are highly competitive and motivated young women. They come from around the country and widely varying backgrounds to ignite their passion and engage in an experience that will shape their lives and benefit society.
Corporate Sponsors
Meet the Researchers
Liz Fujita
Liz is a Coordinator at Michigan Tech's Center for Pre-College Outreach. Her outreach focus is on programs to benefit local students: GEAR UP (11th grade college readiness), after-school STEM clubs, and events for local students (including Get WISE and Engineering Olympics). She graduated from Michigan Tech in 2012 with a dual degree in mathematics and social science.
Cody Kangas
As Director of the Center for Pre-College Outreach at Michigan Tech, Cody leads a team of six to deliver three innovative university flagship operatives--Mind Trekkers, Summer Youth Programs, College Access Programs--as well as develop the Pre-College Innovative Outreach Institute. Prior to coming to Michigan Tech in 2008, Cody worked in several academic and athletic outreach programs, including Ann Arbor Public Schools and the United States Olympic Committee. While at Michigan Tech Cody has served on a number of task forces and steering committees, managed the delivery of innovative outreach programming for several hundred-thousand students and families through federal and private-funded sponsors, and created effective partnerships with stakeholders across K-12 schools, industry representatives, and non-profit organizations. Cody holds an MAED in Postsecondary Leadership from Michigan State University, and a BA in Sport Management from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. He is a proud father of two girls and spends his free time with his wife and family, traveling, and playing the guitar.
Linda Ott
Dr. Linda M. Ott received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Purdue University in 1978. She joined Michigan Tech's faculty shortly after completing her Ph.D. and chaired the Department of Computer Science from 1996 to 2010. Her research interests are in software engineering, including software processes, software measurement, and software engineering education. She also has interests in ethical and social aspects of computing. She has been a co-PI on nearly $1.5 million in grants from industry and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Ott is a 2010 recipient of the ACM SIGSOFT Retrospective Paper Award for the paper "The Program Dependence Graph in a Software Development Environment" co-authored with Dr. Karl Ottenstein. The paper was published in SDE 1, Proceedings of the First ACM SIGSOFT/SIGPLAN Symposium on Practical Software Development Environments, April 23-25, 1994. In addition to teaching at Michigan Tech, Dr. Ott taught Advanced Software Engineering at Siberian State Aerospace University in Krasnoyarsk, Russia as a Fulbright Scholar. She also taught Ethical and Social Aspects of Computing at Beijing Normal University - Zhuhai in Zhuhai, China.
days left
funded
last
What Your Donation Can Help Us Do:
- Provide scholarships for students to attend WiCS
$100+ 3 Funders
Thank you card, photo of students
$500+ 3 Funders
Souvenir mug
$1,000+ 1 Funder
Hand-written thank you letter from student
$2,500+ 1 Funder
T-shirt
$5,000+ 1 Funder
Gift sponsorship (logo on t-shirt, bag)
$10,000+ 1 Funder
Special event sponsorship (day of the week, dinner, full branding)
Recent Donors
Some donors may be hidden.
Gifts to projects listed on SUPERIORIDEAS.ORG are received and processed by Michigan Tech Fund. Michigan Tech Fund is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code acting on behalf of Michigan Technological University. It is the policy of Michigan Tech Fund that a portion of the gifts and/or income therefrom may be used to defray the costs of raising and administering the funds.