National Center For Women And Information Technology

THE MISSION OF THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR WOMEN AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IS TO ENSURE THAT WOMEN ARE FULLY REPRESENTED IN THE INFLUENTIAL WORLD OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY/COMPUTING. WHILE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE FOCUSED ON THE BROADER ISSUES OF SCIENCE, MATH, AND ENGINEERING, THIS EFFORT IS UNIQUE IN ITS EXCLUSIVE FOCUS ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.NCWIT'S WORK LEVERAGES THE EFFORTS OF ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND CONNECTS EFFORTS TO INCREASE WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN IT ALONG THE ENTIRE PIPELINE, FROM K-12 AND HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGH INDUSTRY, ACADEMIC CAREERS, AFFINITY GROUPS, AND ENTREPRENEURIAL ENDEAVORS. NCWIT ENCOURAGES ITS MEMBERS TO UNDERTAKE INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE WITHIN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, AND OUR WORK PROVIDES THEM WITH THE TOOLS AND SUPPORT TO BE CHANGE AGENTS.

MESSAGING AND OUTREACH EXPENSES TO DEVELOP NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR INCREASING WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN THE IT FIELD. MESSAGING AND OUTREACH INCLUDES COMPREHENSIVE WEB SITE DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT ALLIANCE MEMBERS, AS WELL AS RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION, ALLIANCE BUILDING, PUBLIC RELATIONS, PRESS DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL MEDIA, THE AUDIO PODCAST SERIES ON "ENTREPRENEURIAL HEROES INTERVIEWS", AND THE NATIONAL ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN, SIT WITH ME, THE COUNSELORS FOR COMPUTING PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE NEWLY DEVELOPED TECHNOLOCHICAS CAMPAIGN. OUTREACH INCLUDES INCREASED PRESENCE AT NATIONAL CONFERENCES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SIGCSE, ISTE, AERA, SWE, GRACE HOPPER CELEBRATION OF WOMEN IN COMPUTING, AMONG OTHERS.

AWARD PROGRAMS- AWARD PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE NCWIT AWARD FOR ASPIRATIONS IN COMPUTING FOR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS, THE NCWIT COLLEGIATE AWARD, THE NCWIT ASPIREIT SEED FUND PROGRAM WHICH AWARDS UP TO $5,000 TO ALLIANCE MEMBERS TO PARTNER WITH ASPIRATIONS WINNERS AND RUN TECHNOLOGY CAMPS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AGED GIRLS, THE SYMONS INNOVATOR AWARD HONORING ENTREPRENEURIAL WOMEN IN THE IT FIELD, THE EDUCATOR AWARD HONORING HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO ENCOURAGE THEIR FEMALE STUDENTS TO PURSUE COMPUTER SCIENCE, ROBOTICS AND ENGINEERING OPPORTUNITIES, , THE ACADEMIC ALLIANCE SEED GRANTS PROGRAM THAT AWARDS ACADEMIC ALLIANCE MEMBERS START-UP FUNDS (UP TO $10,000 PER PROJECT) TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT INITIATIVES FOR RECRUITING AND RETAINING WOMEN IN COMPUTING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, THE PIONEER AWARD TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS WHOSE LIFETIME CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE CHANGED THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN THE HISTORY OF COMPUTING AND TECHNOLOGY, THE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH MENTORING AWARD WHICH RECOGNIZES FACULTY FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND WORK IN MENTORING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, THE NCWIT HARROLD AND NOTKIN RESEARCH AND GRADUATE MENTORING AWARD WHICH RECOGNIZES FACULTY FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN GRADUATE STUDENT MENTORING, NCWIT EXTENSION SERVICES NEXT AWARD THAT CELEBRATES PAST AND PRESENT EXTENSION SERVICES CLIENTS FOR THEIR EXCELLENCE IN RECRUITING AND RETAINING WOMEN INTO UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS, THE ENGAGECSEDU AWARD WHICH RECOGNIZES FACULTY FOR EXCELLENT AND ENGAGING INTRODUCTORY COMPUTER SCIENCE CURRICULUM, AND THE REBOOT REPRESENTATION PROGRAM WHICH AIMS TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF BLACK, LATINX AND NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN RECEIVING COMPUTING DEGREES.

REGIONAL EDUCATION INITIATIVES - EXPENSES FOR A REGIONAL FOCUSED INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TECHNICAL WOMEN IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. THIS INITIATIVE INCLUDES ASPIREIT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, AND COLLEGE WOMEN; COUNSELORS FOR COMPUTING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELORS, AND ASPIRATIONS IN COMPUTING COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP, INTERNSHIP, AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. IN ADDITION, WOMEN MAY APPLY FOR WORKFORCE SKILL DEVELOPMENT FUNDS TO ATTEND VARIOUS TECHNICAL TRAINING COURSES TO FURTHER EXPAND THEIR TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES.

ALLIANCES - EXPENSES TO SUPPORT NCWIT'S FIVE ALLIANCES (WORKFORCE, ACADEMIC, ENTREPRENEURIAL, K-12 AND AFFINITY GROUP), THE SOCIAL SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD AND THEIR RESPECTIVE PROJECTS THAT INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, ALLIANCE SPECIFIC RESEARCH, THE PACESETTERS PROGRAM, AND THE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH MENTORING PROGRAM. THE ACADEMIC ALLIANCE MEMBERS WORK TOWARDS INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION. THE AFFINITY GROUP ALLIANCE BRINGS TOGETHER NATIONAL AND LOCAL AFFINITY GROUPS THAT PROVIDE SUPPORT, NETWORKING, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ALLIANCE HELPS YOUNG COMPANIES ESTABLISH DIVERSITY AT THE START. THE K-12 ALLIANCE WORKS ON THE IMAGE AND TEACHING OF COMPUTING. THE WORKFORCE ALLIANCE LEADS EFFORTS IN CORPORATE ORGANIZATIONAL REFORM. THE SOCIAL SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD ADVISES NCWIT AND ITS MEMBERS ON PROJECTS AND EVALUATION.THE REMAINING PROGRAM EXPENSES COVER OPERATIONAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT IN SUPPORT OF THE ABOVE LISTED MAJOR PROGRAMS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND DONATIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION FOR ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL AND OTHER UNIVERSITY RESOURCES KEY TO NCWIT'S OPERATIONS.