DigiGirlz helps motivate future female leaders of technology in Delaware
---Microsoft event inspires young women to pursue tech careers, break stereotypes---
What: Microsoft DigiGirlz Day:
Step aside boys; this one is for the girls! On Tuesday, March 29, Microsoft will join the Delaware Department of Technology and Information, the Delaware Department of Education and the Delaware Center for Educational Technology to host the state’s first DigiGirlz Day.
Local high school students will visit Wilmington University’s Dover site to experience DigiGirlz Day, a technology event for girls that works to dispel gender stereotypes of careers in the high-tech industry. Through this event, Microsoft aims to educate and inspire the next generation of women IT leaders by introducing them to the considerable opportunities and career choices available.
For a full day, the students will be introduced to the latest innovations in technology, interact with Microsoft executives and participate in product workshops.
Statistics are alarming, as they clearly illustrate the lack of adequate female representation in technology courses and careers:
- Women constitute 46.5 percent of the workforce in the U.S., but hold just 25 percent of mathematical and computer science jobs and 11 percent of engineering jobs. Of the women in engineering professions, only seven percent are Hispanic and six percent are African American (U.S. Department of Labor, 2008; National Science Foundation, 2007).
- Women received 18 percent of Computer and Information Sciences undergraduate degrees in 2008, down from a high of 37 percent in 1984. Women's participation in computer science bachelor's degrees has been steadily decreasing since 1984 (National Science Foundation, 2008; NCWIT, 2010).
- Research by the American Association of University Women and other organizations confirms that young girls make important decisions about whether to embrace science and technology in school or careers in their late middle school years or early high-school years. Despite a surplus of available jobs, fewer U.S. girls are signing up for computer science when they enter college, resulting in under-representation of women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers.
Carla Markell, the First Lady of Delaware, will deliver the keynote. In addition to meeting with successful female executives at Microsoft, the girls experience technology hands-on and explore the latest innovative offerings.
Microsoft representatives and participating DigiGirlz will be available for media interviews.
| When: | 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 29 |
| Where: | Wilmington University’s Dover site 3282 North DuPont Highway Building 1 Dover, DE 19901 |
Visuals/Interview Opportunities:
- 9:50 – 10:20 – Carla Markell, Delware’s first lady, will deliver the keynote address. Here she will recognize Wilmington’s Padua Academy’s ChicSquad, an all-girls team that competed in the CyberPatriot competition, which is the nation’s largest cyber defense competition geared toward high school students.
- 10:20-10:40 – Digigirlz will be introduced to Kodu, which is a free game design tool that enables kids to easily build their own video games for their computer by dragging and dropping images and simple icons.
- 10:40-11:30 – Digigirlz will work as teams to create a world in Kodu.
To learn more about Microsoft DigiGirlz visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/about/diversity/programs/digigirlz/
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Delaware's Department of Education is committed to promoting the highest quality education
for every Delaware student by providing visionary leadership and superior service.
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Contact Info.
Alison Kepner Delaware Department of Education 401 Federal Street, Suite #2 Dover, Delaware 19901 Phone: (302) 735-4035 Fax: (302) 739-4654 Email: akepner@doe.k12.de.us |
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