Cisco Networking Academy Program Networking Academy Program ... Computer Science degrees (bachelor level)? 10% 35% 28% 51% ... Source: TechSavvy report: ...Published in: computer systems

1© 2005 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Session NumberPresentation_ID

Cisco Networking Academy ProgramBridging the Digital Divide: Inclusion Initiatives

Carroll McGillin, Area Academy Manager, Cisco Systems, Inc.Gena Pirtle, Inclusion Manager, Cisco Systems, Inc.Marianne Siemietkowski Needham, International Program Manager, CLI

222© 2005 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Presentation_ID

Gender Awareness Quiz Show

222© 2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.


What is the average percentage of females taking high school computer science classes (U.S.)?

20%10%

30% 40%


What is the average percentage of females taking high school computer science classes (U.S.)?

20%10%

30% 40%

•Source: UMBC Center for Women & Information Technology (www.umbc.edu/cwit)


What is the average percentage of women earning Computer Science degrees (bachelor level, U.S.)?

35%10%

28% 51%


What is the average percentage of women earning Computer Science degrees (bachelor level)?

35%10%

28% 51%

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2000


What is the approximate percentage of female students in CCNA courses in the U.S.?

10%14%

22% 43%


What is the approximate percentage of female students in CCNA courses in the U.S.?

10%14%

22% 43%

http://www.aauw.org/2000/techsavvy.htmlSource: TechSavvy report:


Global Gender Commitment

• Increase the number of females pursuing academic and career opportunities in Information Technology

• Gender Initiative established in 2000Increase females’ access to IT training and career opportunities

Utilize Academy program as a model / gender laboratory

Collect and share information on best practice recruitment and retention strategies

Develop tools and resources to attract and retain more females to IT


Gender Initiative

• Mentoring/working with targeted Academies to drive female awareness and enrollment in IT

• Gender website• Communication

Newsletters, successes

• Tools/resourcesPoster, videos, toolkit, datasheets

• Events

http://gender.ciscolearning.org/


Incorporating IT into Girls’ Lives

Marcia SitcoskeSenior Director, Creative Learning StudioCisco Systems, Inc.

• Part of the challenge of getting girls interested in IT is showing them how the subject matter is relevant to their lives and interests

• IT should be viewed as a component of their overall academic career

• It's not just engineering and science


Girls in Technology Event Planning Portal

Girls in Technology Events






Sample Agenda: Girls in IT Event

General welcome

Keynote

Real World Solutions

Lunch with IT mentors

Discussion panel & Q/A


Girls in IT event, 11/12/04Herndon, VA Student Testimonials

• “It was very inspiring to me because I usually think of technology as being about men, and then I see all of these women in IT and I think 'It is not just for men, it's also for intelligent women.’”

Celina Cote, student at Thomas Stone High School, Waldorf, MD

• “It was really insightful. After having gone to the convention and seeing all these women, it lit a light bulb in my mind.”

Kim Mariano, student at Henry E. Lackey High School, Indian Head, MD


“I am an Engineer” videoReal World SolutionsPenny PacketCareer Capture



Real World Solutions Activity

• Students work in small teams led by WAN volunteer

• They act as a team of technology consultants

• Technology problems are based on actual real Cisco customer problems

• The objective of the activity is to help students understand different ways that technology has helped to solve human problems faster and more efficiently

• Activity was developed by WTAN

20© 2005 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Session NumberPresentation_ID

Mission: Surgery Without Hospitals

Technology Consultants Team


Mission Background

• Date: July 18, 2002• Location of mission: Amundsen-Scott Pole

Station (South Pole), Antarctica• Situation: It is winter in Antarctica (winter lasts

from February to November). A researching meteorologist named Dar Gibson has fallen, and requires surgery to stitch up a tendon in his left knee that was damaged. There is one doctor at the Pole Station, but he is not a surgeon.

• Problem for the tech consultants to solve: Your team needs to help the meteorologist get help from a hospital, but he will not be able to be moved, nor can any additional doctors get into the country because of the winter conditions There is no way the patient can leave the station because the extreme cold and darkness prevent aircraft landings.

• Questions to define your strategyWhat does your team think the first priority to help solve is?What types of technology may help the Dar Gibson and the doctor at the South Pole Station get help? Where will you start?


Actual Solution:

• WHAT REALLY HAPPENED• Telemedicine technology meant that doctors from Boston, Massachusetts were

able to provide expert help to a physician who carried out the operation at the remote Amundsen-Scott Pole Station. The US Antarctic Program has used two-way voice and video links between the US and Antarctica to assist in medical procedures before. But this is the first time in the program's nearly 50-year history that telemedicine has been used for surgery.

• There are three US-operated, year-round stations in Antarctica. Each is staffed by doctors, but the medical facilities are not designed for surgery. A panel of physicians in the US explored a variety of options for treating the injury using digital x-rays sent via the telemedicine link and a live video transmission of a knee examination. It was agreed that surgery represented the best way to restore maximum mobility to the damaged knee.

• The two hour operation was carried out by South Pole physician Dr Timothy Pollard with the help of orthopedic surgeon Bertram Zarins and anesthesiologist Vicki Modest, via a telemedicine link-up to Massachusetts General Hospital. Karl Erb, of the US National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs, said: "The health and safety of our people comes first and I'm grateful that the skills of all concerned could be combined so effectively with 21st century technology to meet this challenge.

• The Amundsen-Scott station is one of the best astrophysical observatories in the world. It also has some of the world's cleanest air, making it a natural laboratory for studying environmental chemistry.

• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2135513.stm


Cyberspace’s Newest Hero: Penny Packet

First there was Peter Packet

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/779/edu/peterpacket2/deliverables/default.htm


Recruitment and Retention Strategies



Best Practices: Let’s Hear from You!

• What are you doing in your Academy to recruit more females?

• What are your successful strategies?


Recruitment and Retention Strategies

• Establish a girls’ computing club

• Promote Academy program in academic departments with high female enrollment

• Involve female instructors and role models

• Schedule open houses at the Academy targeting women: “Women encouraged to apply”

• Involve female speakers/graduates at recruitment sessions

• “Bring a (female) friend to class”

• Highlight career opportunities

• Open house for females


Involving Parents

• Parent newsletters

• Presentations at parent events

• PTA/PTSA meetings

• Parents as role models – visit classes

• Students “interview” parents

• Parent night for Academy program


Other Inclusion Initiatives in the Academy Program



Why is Diversity Important?Gaining a Competitive Advantage

• Diverse employees can understand your customers, identify their needs, and suggest potential new markets.

• An inclusive culture is a winning culture that fully harnesses all the resources, talents and skills of our employees, business partners & customers

• A truly global company leverages “culturally literate”employees who can integrate a global perspective into all business processes and systems

• Customers and employee candidates often look to see if their values and culture are reflected in our workplace and corporate culture


Academy Accessibility for Disabled Students

• CCNA 3.1 and other Academy courses released after June 2004 are all Section 508 Compliant (Rehabilitation Act of 1973)

• All courses offered through the Cisco Academy Program will be compliant by August 2005

• This new accessible format allows for much of the Academy curriculum and assessments to be delivered through a special layout and navigation which provides better access for students with disabilities

• Specifically designed for users who are: colorblind, visually impaired, cannot use a mouse

• Curriculum in the accessible format is available for instructors to download from the Course Materials page; Students can choose theformat from “My Profile” under “Preferences”

• Currently available in most languages (except Arabic)• Expanding program for students with Cerebral Palsy and the hearing

impaired


Academy Accessibility for Disabled Students

• Video clip of how students and instructors can set their preferences to view curriculum and assessments in the Accessible Theme can be found on Academy Connection

Login > Tools > general area > "Academy Connection Video Tutorials"

From there look under Class Management > 508 Accessible Theme

• http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/779/edu/508.html


Inclusion Best Practices

Focus:HOPE / Comcast Call Center• Focus: HOPE is a nonprofit human rights organization which serves

a diverse population in Detroit, MI• In July 2004, Comcast opened up a call center at Focus:HOPE’s

Information Technology Center -- providing the equipment, phone lines, and connectivity

• Geared toward Focus:HOPE students enrolled in A+ or CCNA coursework

• Student-staffed call center provides an opportunity to showcase their skills and increase their options for later employment

• The center accommodates approximately 20 student employees who each work a total of 19 hours per week

• Students earn $11/hour, learn about Comcast operations, gain entry-level experience, and may apply for a permanent position with Comcast after graduation


Discussion: Inclusion Initiatives

• What are the challenges you face in having a more diverse student population?

• What are opportunities? • Which of the gender tools would you find

most helpful?• What other tools/resources would be

useful?• What are some best practices you know

of?• Are you familiar with the Digital Divide

site? If so, how could we make that resource more useful?

343434© 2005 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Presentation_ID 343434© 2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Presentation_ID

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Cisco Networking Academy Program Networking Academy Program ... Computer Science degrees (bachelor level)? 10% 35% 28% 51% ... Source: TechSavvy report: ...Published in: computer systems