PGE/SEP: An Experiment in Engaging High School and Undergraduate Women in Computer Science

University Of Delaware, Newark DE

Investigators

Abstract

In this project, we plan to test and evaluate a three-pronged approach to attracting females into computer science and for keeping them in computer science once they have entered college. The two largest components of our program are aimed at giving high school girls the tools necessary to have confidence about their technical abilities and be comfortable in computer science, as well as providing them with an independent project experience with female university faculty mentors in computer science. The third prong of our approach is aimed at retaining college women in computer science through their bachelor's degree and into graduate school. The summer component of this program is designed for 20 high school students to participate in an 8-week, half-day summer camp. The camp will focus on both static and interactive web programming, and animation and gui programming with Java. The Girls' POWER (Programming Of the WEb Rocks!) summer program will include lectures, lab sessions, and most significantly individual and group projects. In order to provide personal contacts for high school girls on their own territory, the high school, we plan to set up a Visit a High School Program, in which females in computer science from both academia and industry participate as distinguished role models and visitors to local high schools. The visiting role models would be accompanied by a graduate or undergraduate female computer science or computer engineering student to provide a role model at two different levels. The activities for undergraduate women focus on lessening women's of isolation as a computer science major, raising their self-esteem, increasing their awareness of career opportunities, and promoting research and graduate study. Activities include a mentoring program, informal lunch meetings, organized field trips, and independent research study opportunities. The proposed project has a number of aspects that are innovative. We have created a strong team of three senior female computer science professors who are noted for both their research and teaching excellence. The program leverages off of the technical strengths, excitement, and successes of the web for achieving the goals of the program. The program targets females in the critical high school and early undergraduate years, and focuses on the hypothesized barriers to attracting and retaining women at these stages. The anticipated regional outcomes of this project include an increase in the number of local high school women taking the Advanced Placement exam in computer science, as increase in the number of high school women at the participating schools majoring in computer science in college, and an established communication between numerous female computer scientists at all levels in this local geographic region. Beyond the Delaware Valley, the results should help to advance the understanding of the kinds of activities that actually aid in attracting and retaining women.