Girls & Computing

DOT DIVA LAUNCHES NEW WEB SITE TO ATTRACT GIRLS TO COMPUTING

Initiative Created by WGBH, ACM, NCWIT Features Entertaining and Educational Resources
For Girls, Educators, Professionals, Parents

BOSTON, MA  – January 19, 2011 – Dot Diva has unveiled a new web site http://www.dotdiva.org/  to expand its effort at encouraging high school and college aged girls to explore the vast potential for career and creative opportunities in the computer science field . The initiative was developed by WGBH in Boston, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery), and NCWIT (National Center for Women & Information Technology).  It is intended to create a positive image for high school girls, and to attract young women as part of a broad-based workforce equipped with skills that are fundamental to ensuring future U.S. economic competitiveness and prosperity.

The new site features stories, blogs, videos and resources designed to fulfill the initiative’s goal of bringing girls into the computing field at a critical time in their lives. These resources are tailored to appeal to girls as well as educators, computer science professionals, and parents.

For girls:

“Kate and Ali”- a web series about two young, very different (but very funny) Dot Divas working in a young/startup/hip gaming company

A virtual meet and greet with real-life Dot Divas working in robot design, healthcare,  digital media, and fashion

“Diva Talk” – a blog that takes girls into the computer science field to share information on scholarships, events and general “did you know” stories of computer science in action

“What’s Your Passion”- an interactive feature on computing careers with video interviews of young women currently in the field

“Become a Dot Diva ”-  a section with resources on high school classes, after school opportunities, and college programs

For educators, computer science professionals and parents:

Educators section explores why girls are turned off by computing, and what we can do to change their perceptions
Free resources to order or download, including customizable PowerPoint presentations for students, educators and CS professionals to illuminate the issues and offer solutions
Parents section for advice and support on talking to their daughters about computing as a career. 

For all:

Refreshed Facebook page- a 24/7 home for all Dot Divas to help them connect as a community, with updated information on the field and its happenings, blog links, and events.
MEDIA ALERT
                                                                                                                
Contact:           Kerry Murphy                         Virginia Gold              Jenny Slade
                        Kerry_murphy@wgbh.org     vgold@acm.org           jslade@ncwit.org
                        617-300-3980                         212-626-0505             303-735-6600

The Dot Diva initiative www.dotdiva.org was launched in late 2007 to address double-digit declines in enrollments for graduate degrees in computer science.  It was named Dot Diva in response to a national survey, with the name evoking the fun, collaborative, cutting edge, and glitzy aspects of computer science that are often hidden.  Dot Diva is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to increase the number of college-bound girls who recognize the power and potential of computing and computer science to achieve fulfilling opportunities.

About WGBH Boston

WGBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcaster, producing such celebrated national PBS series as Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Arthurand more than a dozen other award-winning primetime, lifestyle and children’s series. Boston’s last remaining independent TV station, WGBH produces local TV productions (among them Greater Boston, Basic Blackand Maria Hinojosa One-on-One) that focus on the region’s diverse community, while WGBH 89.7 FM is Boston’s NPR Arts & Culture station, offering a rich menu of classical, jazz, blues, news programming and more. WGBH is the leading producer of online content for pbs.org—one of the most-visited dot-org sites on the Internet—a major producer for public radio and a pioneer in developing educational multimedia and new technologies that make media accessible for people with disabilities. For its efforts, WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors, including Oscars, Emmys, Peabodys and duPont-Columbia Journalism Awards. Visit WGBH on the Web at www.wgbh.org.

About ACM

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery www.acm.org, is the world’s largest educational and scientific society, uniting computing educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field’s challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession’s collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking. 

About NCWIT

NCWIT is the National Center for Women & Information Technology http://www.ncwit.org, a coalition of over 250 prominent corporations, academic institutions, government agencies, and non-profits working to increase the participation of girls and women in computing and IT. NCWIT, a 501(c)(3) established in 2004, believes that inspiring more women to choose careers in IT is a compelling issue of innovation, competitiveness, and workforce sustainability. In a global economy, gender diversity in IT means a larger and more competitive workforce; in a world dependent on innovation, it means the ability to design technology that is as broad and creative as the people it serves.