NCWIT ACADEMIC ALLIANCE SEED FUND...The Academic Alliance (AA) brings together more than 500 distinguished representatives from the computer science and IT departments of colleges

NCWIT ACADEMIC ALLIANCE SEED FUND sponsored by Microsoft Research

1 | 2012 Executive Report

The NCWIT Academic Alliance Seed Fund provides members of the NCWIT Academic Alliance with funds (up to $10,000 per project) to develop and implement initiatives for recruiting and retaining women in computer science and information technology fields of study. The Seed Fund was initiated in 2007 with start-up funding from Microsoft Research and to-date has awarded more than $365,450 in funding.

National Center for Women & Information Technologywww.ncwit.org | [email protected] | 303.735.6671

Sponsored by:

NCWIT ACADEMIC ALLIANCE SEED FUNDFUNDING TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT, DIVERSITY, AND VISIBILITY

2012 Executive Report

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ROUND 8 WINNERS OF THE NCWIT ACADEMIC ALLIANCE SEED FUND AWARD!

The five winning projects represent a diverse range of schools (public and private, small and large, and minority-serving institutions). Each winning project will receive a $10,000 award.

VISIT NCWIT.ORG/SEEDFUND FOR MORE INFO

Claremont Graduate University will team with Scripps College Academy to provide workshops that provide high school, undergraduate and graduate students with mentoring and support to pursue careers in technology and computing.

Fisk University will use its award to integrate software engineering into its GUSTO (Girls Using Scientific Tools for Opportunities) project, which introduces, encourages, and prepares low-income and minority girls for STEM careers.

Union College will pilot a successful Seed Fund project from another institution: a social robotics outreach workshop in which female computing undergraduates serve as mentors and educators for for middle and high school girls.

The University of Central Arkansas will build a female-friendly environment for computing majors by recruiting a first-year cohort of women and retaining them with opportunities for learning, research, service, and leadership.

The University of Virginia program will focus on actively recruiting computing graduate students from traditionally underrepresented groups, by providing enhanced exposure to graduate programs, facilities, faculty, and graduate student life.



BUILDING THE FUTURE IT PIPELINE

Information technology (IT) underpins nearly all economic sectors, from energy, finance, and medicine to entertainment, manufacturing, and retail. It also is a critical driver of global innovation and competitiveness. The U.S. IT infrastructure is growing so rapidly that Department of Labor projections forecast it will outpace many other industries in job growth through 2020.

The technology education pipeline that feeds the U.S. workforce, however, is restricted. Lack of support for K-12 computing curricula and declining postsecondary enrollments may yield insufficient computing talent to meet our growing demand; the failure to capitalize on the breadth and diversity of the U.S. population compounds the talent shortage. If the U.S. wants to remain an economic leader in the 21st-century global economy, it must strengthen and diversify its technology workforce and the education pipeline that supports it.

NCWIT: NATIONAL CENTER FOR WOMEN & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

NCWIT is a national coalition of over 350 prominent corporations, academic institutions, government agencies, and non-profits working to strengthen the technology workforce and cultivate innovation by increasing the participation of women. In a global economy, this means a larger and more competitive workforce; in a world dependent on innovation, it means designing technology that is as broad and creative as the population it serves.

NCWIT leverages that work of many distinguished organizations through a national infrastructure of alliances, workshops, research, publications, and evaluation. NCWIT’s work connects efforts to increase women’s participation in technology along the entire pipeline, from K-12 and higher education through industry, academic, and entrepreneurial careers.

NCWIT ACADEMIC ALLIANCE

The Academic Alliance (AA) brings together more than 500 distinguished representatives from the computer science and IT departments of colleges across the country spanning research universities, community colleges, women’s colleges, and minority-serving institutions. The Academic Alliance is dedicated to gender equity, diversity, and institutional change in higher education. It provides feedback on NCWIT programs, contributes and adapts effective practices, and serves as a national agent of change. It meets several times per year to compare approaches and provide guidance and mutual support.

Membership in the AA is free for participating academic institutions and brings many benefits. AA members have access to leading-edge promising practices from recruiting and retaining women, free assessment of their department’s undergraduate programs through NCWIT Extension Services and NCWIT Social Scientist Advisory Board, opportunities to attend workshops and compare practices with other institutions, the ability to advertise programs, achievements, and faculty openings at the NCWIT website, apply for student and faculty seed funding, and participation in NCWIT marketing and branding campaigns.



EVALUATING SEED FUND PROGRAMS

The NCWIT Academic Alliance Seed Fund provides U.S. academic institutions with funds (up to $10,000 per project) to develop and implement initiatives for recruiting and retaining women in computer science and information technology fields of study. The Seed Fund was initiated in 2007 with funding from Microsoft Research and to-date has awarded $365,450 in funds to 29 programs.

The Seed Fund Programs are selected for their ability to apply promising practices (for recruiting women into and retaining women in computing higher education) in the context of discrete departmental environments, pilot new approaches to recruitment and retention, and track and evaluate their results.

Seed Fund programs also have the ability to identify new practices that can be shared and disseminated with other AA members and the public. Priority is given to funding programs that have firm commitment for sustaining funds, assuming that the program’s evaluation deems it a success, as well as to programs that utilize existing NCWIT Promising Practices. The AA uses a peer review process for awarding seed funding, convening a selection committee of alliance members to review applications. Appendix A provides a short description of each Seed Fund program and lists the round they were awarded. Appendix B lists the NCWIT resources each Seed Fund project used.

Seed Fund programs also reinforce and leverage the approach that NCWIT is taking with respect to institutional reform: the establishment of self-governed alliances, accountability to a community of peers, measurement, practices based on evidence, and sustainability. NCWIT takes evaluation very seriously and requires an evaluation plan, reviewed by NCWIT Research Scientists, for each project. Award recipients work with NCWIT to report their progress and to document their program material for dissemination by NCWIT.

THE STEP PROGRAM

The STEP program at Union College was our first attempt to transition the existing social robotics program to a new school. The workshop went well, reaching 40 students, mostly from disadvantaged backgrounds, and a good proportion were female. I have had interest in taking and leading the workshop from a range of students across the college, and not only those who had taken an intro CS course. Although one goal was to engage (in particular) female CS undergraduates as leaders of the workshop, we may also reach out to engage with those who have not yet taken a formal CS course. The college STEP program has excellent contacts across the college to facilitate this. The program will be sustained by a specific outreach program funded by an endowment at Union College.

Nick Webb, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Round 8 Winner, Union College

SEED FUND PROGRAM EVALUATION HISTORYNCWIT began collecting systematic evaluation data on the MSR Seed Fund program in 2009-10, after the NCWIT internal evaluator was hired. NCWIT can not require Fund recipients to conduct evaluation because University rules dictate that this is a gift-giving, rather than grant-giving program. Nonetheless, NCWIT has taken a number of steps to facilitate collection of Seed Fund program evaluation data:

» The Call for Proposals now contains an explicit statement that says evaluation is expected. The Call also lists the type of data that NCWIT will be requesting of all funded programs.

» Evaluation data is collected through a survey developed by the NCWIT Internal Evaluator and processed by the Evaluation Department at NCWIT.

» All programs are offered two free hours of social scientist consultation to help them develop evaluation plans and instruments, if they lack internal resources to do so.



Finally, to compensate for insufficient data in previous years, in 2011, NCWIT asked all prior recipients to respond to the evaluation survey. In 2012, the survey was sent to only those who hadn’t responded in 2011, those who were newly funded in 2012, and those whose projects had not been completed in 2011. A total of 29 programs were invited to participate in the 2012 evaluation survey, with 23 responding. The data in this report come from the 26 programs that responded to one or both of the evaluation surveys conducted in 2011 and 2012.

SEED FUND PROGRAMS STATUS » Of the 26 programs represented in the evaluation data, 12 considered their programs complete or nearly complete, and five described their programs as “ongoing.” Six are underway and on schedule, while two are behind schedule.

TABLE 1. PROJECT NAME AND STATUS

PROJECT NAME PROJECT STATUSAn Interdisciplinary Approach to Increase Interest in Information Technology Through an Environmental Project

Completed

Dancing Robots Introduction to Computer Science Completed

I can do IT Completed

Just Be, Making IT Real Completed

Project Overview for Recruiting Women into Computing Completed

Recruiting Women into Computer Science through Student Collaboration Completed

There's an App for That Completed

Emerging Scholars Program Nearly completed

Guidance Counselor and Teacher Computer Science Day Nearly completed

Introducing IT Into Gusto Nearly completed

Multi-Level Mentoring Nearly completed

Social Robotics Outreach Nearly completed

Inspiring AmbITion Never begun

Breakfast Bytes Ongoing

CS Outreach Program to High School Girls Ongoing

Girl Empowerment Mentoring Ongoing

Leveling the CS1 Playing Field Ongoing

Students Recruiting Students to Computer Science Ongoing

Adapting Emerging Scholars Program Underway and on schedule

Claremont-Scripps Computing Academy Underway and on schedule

Extending, Expanding, and Evaluating The Artemis Project Underway and on schedule

Peer Led Mentoring and Instruction Underway and on schedule

Professional Development & Networking Workshop for High School Underway and on schedule

Recruiting Women and Minorities Underway and on schedule

Recruiting & Retaining Females in Computing Underway but behind schedule

Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Initiative Underway but behind schedule



1. SEED FUND PROGRAM REACHSeed Fund programs were about evenly split in their concentration on secondary schools and post-secondary institutions, with a total of 453 schools and colleges reached since the program’s inception (Table 2).

TABLE 2. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS REACHED

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION TYPE NUMBER INVOLVED

K-12 schools(program n=13)

416

Colleges/Universities(program n=17)

37

One important measure of impact for outreach and reform programs is the number of individuals reached; therefore, all programs were asked to report the number of students, faculty, and other adults reached by their programs. Programs were also asked to report the percentage of those individuals who were from an under-represented minority. The table below shows the number reached by the Seed Fund program as well as the percentage of females and racial/ethnic minorities reached (Table 3).

TABLE 3. INDIVIDUALS REACHED

INDIVIDUAL TYPE NUMBER INVOLVED AVERAGE PERCENT FEMALE

AVERAGE PERCENT MINORITY

K-12 students(program n=11)

844 87% 49%

K-12 teachers(program n=9)

237 66% 16%

Undergraduate students (program n=16)

601 73% 35%

Graduate students (program n= 7)

21 56% 3%

Faculty (program n=11)

59 64% 6%

Parents(program n=6)

208 NA NA

Other (adult professionals, etc.)(program n=7)

47 54% NA

Programs that served K-12 populations were asked to provide the school’s percentage of free/reduced lunch, which is commonly used as a proxy for determining the socioeconomic status of the students. Only three programs collected that information, reporting from 30-56% of their target students being on free/reduced lunch.



2. COMPUTING-RELATED OUTCOMESIn 2012, NCWIT added four additional questions to the evaluation survey. These questions sought to find out the programs’ ability to change students’ interest and confidence in computing. These outcomes are critical to the National Science Foundation Broadening Participation in Computing efforts and are being asked in a number of other NCWIT-related program evaluations. Programs that asked these additional questions of their high-school or undergraduate student participants generally found that a majority of students were more engaged with computing and felt increased confidence. Those that taught computing skills said a majority of students reported increased students’ technical skills as well. Those that focused on undergraduate students reported that an increased intention to persist in computing (Table4).

TABLE 4. COMPUTING-RELATED OUTCOMES

INTENT TO PERSIST IN

COMPUTING (STUDY OR CAREER)

INCREASED ENGAGEMENT IN COMPUTING

INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN COMPUTING

INCREASED COMPUTING

SKILLS

Average Percent of K-12 students(program n=11)

37% 54% 63% 83%

Average Percent of Undergraduate students (program n=16)

61% 64% 96% 76%

Programs reported a number of other positive outcomes from their Seed Fund programs. Highlights are listed below (See Appendix C for verbatim responses to the open-ended question about positive outcomes):

» improved attitudes toward computing

» increased interest in studying computing

» new relationships and enhanced communications with local area high schools and non-profits

» increased awareness of the computing major among students, parents and high school teachers

» increased faculty interest in mentoring

3. UNEXPECTED OUTCOMESThe evaluation surveys asked Seed fund recipients what “unexpected outcomes” program leaders had seen. Twenty-one programs reported unexpected outcomes. Many described enthusiasm and commitment from teachers or their own computing students, which they hadn’t expected, since in many cases, they had been focused on engaging high-school students or undeclared college students. Others described challenges they had to overcome, most commonly with logistics, competing events, or working with community partners. See Appendix C for verbatim responses from the 2011 and 2012 surveys related to unexpected outcomes.



4. PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITYThe purpose of the Seed Fund is to stimulate the establishment of new programs. When programs are successful at recruiting or retaining women in computing, the most important secondary outcome is institutionalization within the home department. Of the 29 programs funded in the first eight rounds, 17 programs (59% of fund recipients) reported that their programs will be (or have been) sustained, or otherwise incorporated into their departments, after the funding period ended. This rate of sustainability is a positive result. When asked about how they achieved sustainability, programs reported a number of ways (listed below in order of frequency mentioned):

» Departmental support (e.g., administration, faculty, students)

» Connecting with existing departmental or campus outreach programs

» Cultivating industry partnerships

» Connecting with broader university goals to gain support from outside the department

» A committed faculty sponsor

» Good records and evaluation data

» Training students to take over the program

5. SEED FUND PROGRAMS AND NCWIT RESOURCESOne aspect of the Seed Fund program that has become increasingly important to NCWIT is the contribution these projects can potentially make to the evaluation of NCWIT Promising Practices, and the development of new Promising Practices. Because this connection to existing practices or theories was not emphasized in the early calls for proposals, but rather novelty in program was emphasized, programs funded early on did not connect what they were doing to existing theories or evaluation evidence.

NCWIT now asks in the proposal what NCWIT resources were referenced in the development of the program. We also ask in the evaluation survey which resources were used in implementing the program. Of the 2012 respondents, three programs reported using no NCWIT resources, and five programs did not respond to the question. The rest reported that during program implementation, they used the NCWIT practices on retention, introducing computing in engaging ways, peer-led learning and pair programming. Respondents used the following Programs-in-a-Box: Outreach, Roadshow, CS Unplugged, and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). Additionally, the Talking Points cards and the NCWIT Scorecard were also used. (See Appendix B for a list of NCWIT resources used by each Seed Fund recipient).

Now that most of the funded programs have begun incorporating evidence-based practices into their programs and NCWIT has been able to collect evaluation data from them, we are ready to consider several programs for inclusion in new NCWIT resources. In 2013, we plan to develop new case studies for existing practice sheets and, in some cases, new practice sheets based on successful Seed Fund programs.

6. CONCLUSIONSThe 2012 survey collected the most useful data from the Seed Fund programs to date. The data indicate that the majority of the funded programs were successful in their goals of recruitment or retention of computing students, particularly female students. As in 2011, a majority of the previously funded programs are still in place, despite funding having ceased. Both of these findings suggest that the Seed Fund program is a terrific success.

Seed Fund programs are strengthening the future of computing in their local regions through outreach and retention efforts, while creating relationships with area high schools, non-profit organizations, and industry. Several of these thoughtful programs promise to yield new case studies for existing NCWIT Practices, and may lead to the development of additional NCWIT resources.



HOPES FOR THE FUTURE

As the Academic Alliance Seed Fund grows, NCWIT has an opportunity to guide proposals toward specific types of programs that have proved successful. For instance, one round might focus on revising curriculum or replication of evidence-based practices. Through evaluation questions asked of all Fund recipients, we are able to learn from programmatic missteps along with recipients. For instance, one recipient found that including young male mentors had a positive effect on recruitment of high-school girls. Another found that they needed to do more front-end teacher training to ensure an effective program. Additionally, innovative new ideas for programs will be tested by the Seed Fund program as possible new promising practices.

The AA is actively recruiting community colleges, minority-serving institutions and technical colleges. Likewise, the number of AA member institutions submitting proposals has increased since inception. The Seed Fund provides a valuable opportunity for these schools to implement effective programs and provide practices for recruiting women of diverse backgrounds.

The Seed Fund is a successful NCWIT initiative and an excellent way to grow the membership of the Academic Alliance. With the continued support of Microsoft Research, these important programs can strengthen our nation’s technology education pipeline and computing workforce.

RECRUITING WOMEN INTO COMPUTER SCIENCE THROUGH STUDENT COLLABORATION

Some of the positive outcomes of learning groups that students (females and males) reported include:

•Learning groups promote interactivity and active learning

•Students feel more comfortable asking questions in a small group setting than in front of the whole class

•Learning groups foster the need to work harder as a result of the group depending on them

•Students’ interest in CS can be positively influenced by group members’ attitudes about CS

•Learning groups are good for CS / CSCI 101 specifically

•Groups provide an opportunity to meet people

These outcomes indicate that the use of learning groups can engage female students, show students that CS is not an asocial field, and strengthen women’s confidence to participate. Additionally, many female students (more than half of the female study participants) reported that they enjoyed working in learning groups in CSCI 101 and that they learned from their peers in the group setting. These findings suggest that incorporating learning groups into an introductory CS course may have the potential to promote female students’ interest in CS.

Irene Polycarpou, Assistant Professor, Round 7 winner, Colorado School of Mines

APPENDICES

CONTENT PAGE

Appendix A Seed Fund Projects by Round 10

Appendix B NCWIT Practices and Seed Fund Programs 17

Appendix C Verbatim Responses to Open-Ended Questions of Seed Fund Evaluation Survey

20



APPENDIX A: THE SEED FUND PROJECTS BY ROUNDR

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CCGIT Inspiring AmbITion Develop and disseminate a DVD to recruit women, non-traditional age groups, and underrepresented minorities from community colleges into four-year computing and IT programs.

Channels for its dissemination are already in place (admissions, recruiting, advising, and career counseling; regional road show). The DVD itself provides the sustainability for statewide recruiting at all levels of P-20 education and, in the case of workforce development centers, beyond.

DePauw University

Leveling the CS1 Playing Field

Engage first-year women students through role modeling, dispelling myths about computing, and showcasing a broad variety of computing careers and lifestyles in computing.

Using departmental supplied resources and work/study students, this program is completely sustainable. At the conclusion of the grant period, we will seek industry funding to obtain $100, $1000 or $2000 per academic year needed (to produce additional DVDs). Orientation sessions are conducted without monetary.

Oregon State University

Students Recruiting Students to Computer Science

Leverages its highly successful “Ambassadors in Engineering” program as the model for a new student-to-student recruitment initiative focused on attracting college-bound high school students to computing studies.

Builds on existing successful COE Ambassadors program, now in its second year. Has been institutionalized with support from the college.

University of Pennsylvania

CS Outreach Program to High School Girls

Outreach to high school girls on a national level and culminate in a March 2008 conference. The initiative’s goal is to target students from 2,500 high schools nationwide, and encourage their interest in computing.

Departmental funds will support the project in subsequent years. The faculty, staff and WICS students in the CS department at Penn will increase the reach of our mentoring efforts by building on the success of this outreach pilot event.



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Indiana University

Just Be, Making IT Real

Development and evaluation of three to five team-based activities for high school students, incorporating basic computing concepts using sensors, robots, pervasive computing concepts.

Builds on an existing successful program. The School of Informatics at Indiana commits to continuing financial support of the Just Be program.

Rochester Institute of Technology

Golisano Scholars, Kids on Campus

Extend MUPPETS and Virtual Participatory Theatre to HS students in grades 10-12 and also create Golisano Scholars program.

This program will be modeled after the existing RIT College of Science Scholars program, now completing its second year and showing direct measurable enrollment benefits. As part of this effort, NCWIT funding will allow GCCIS to support four women scholars in a pilot year as ongoing funding sources are sought.

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Girl Empowerment Mentoring

Establish a comprehensive statewide writing program and contest that includes UNL women CS students as big sister mentors to HS students.

The department has supported similar efforts in the past. The department also promises strong future support through scholarships for students and long-term funding for the program.

University of Texas

Breakfast Bytes Breakfast Bytes, a Saturday Morning CS club to provide a continuous outlet for engaging middle/high school students, encouraging them to take HS CS classes.

Very strong institutional support. The department provides continuing funding from its own budget because of the pilot’s success.



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Columbia University

Emerging Scholars Program

Seeks to increase the enrollment of female students in CS courses beyond CS1, and ultimately to increase the number of female CS majors, by creating a program that encourages active participation and discussion of CS-related topics in a more positive, relaxed, and open environment.

Institutional support and other funding have kept this program going.

Purdue University

Are You Smarter Than Your 5th Grader?

Proposal to engage another influential layer, parents, with Pair Programming via 6 Workshops per semester. Open to 24 student/adult pairs and will be offered free of charge.

The department has committed to the necessary resources. It also promises that “once the program is established and successful, the department will continue to run it as long as it is effective.”

Towson University

Multi-Level Mentoring Proposal to implement a multi-level mentoring model, which will combine elements of both intentional role modeling and peer-led team learning toward the ultimate goal of showing all female undergraduates in our programs pathways to success in computing.

Towson is committed to working with partners to ensure the project’s success and advocate as needed. Student mentors will be supported by faculty: female faculty members in the department of Computer and Information Sciences will each be assigned two mentors.

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Claremont Graduate University

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Increase Interest in Information Technology Through an Environmental Project

This project is designed to engage students, especially female and underrepresented groups, through teamwork, problem-based learning, and a socially relevant topic to cultivate an interest in IT. Members of this project will include females acting as intentional role models and mentoring for students and teachers. The proposed two-semester project will have a direct impact on students at Claremont.

Because it was successful, this program will be integrated into the Learning Communities project. Changes made during the pilot will become permanent.

University of California Irvine

Harnessing Hacking: Encouraging Inclusion through Creativity in IT Education for Latina Youth

Innovative workshops for adolescent girls serving a primarily low SES Latina population. We will support the Girls Inc. Eureka! summer camp. Building on experiences with the summer program will create a series of complimentary workshops for both the middle school girls served by Eureka! and high school girls as part of the College Bound effort.

The work has continued with grants support and other funding, and still has strong departmental and Girls Inc support.



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University of Pennsylvania

Guidance Counselor and Teacher Computer Science Day

Guidance Counselors and teachers would be invited to campus to spend the day hearing from faculty and students about the different applications of computer science, talking with admissions counselors about what they look for in computer science admittance, and learning ways they might integrate computer science problem solving into their curriculum.

Seed money will allow development of materials such as brochures, resources and a website that can sustain the program beyond the life of the grant. Director of Advancing Women in Engineering program will coordinate implementation and continuation.

University of Texas Pan-American

Dancing Robots Introduction to Computer Science

The project will redesign the existing course, CSCI 1360 Introductory Computer Science Concepts, to use the LEGO based Mindstorms robotics kit.

Program will sustain itself by training new and existing students and supplementing expenses with student fees, equipment stipends, and departmental operating funds.

Waukesha County Technical College

I Can Do IT The I Can Do IT project will allow WCTC to offer a unique Roadshow experience to younger students through continued partnerships with the South Eastern Wisconsin Girl Scouts of America council.

WCTC will continue to offer the RoadShows to the SE Wisconsin Girl Scouts and has plans to expand the concept to other local groups. WCTC is committed to utilizing departmental resources to maintain the RoadShow activities along with donation of time and experience of faculty and students. A steering committee will be formed to monitor progress and success and make suggestions for future enhancements to the program.



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Brown University

Extending, Expanding, and Evaluating the Artemis Project

This project will use the award to extend the Artemis Project (a summer day camp for 9th-grade girls, run by undergraduate women from Brown University, that encourages confidence and interest in a computing career) to create community-use projects and reach students in the greater Boston area.

Deemed crucial to long-term sustainability, the Artemis project intends to secure funding to undertake a longitudinal study to assess the impact of the project. Proven success will guarantee continued institutional commitment and facilitate future fundraising efforts.

SUNY at Albany Social Robotics Outreach

This project will use the context of social robotics to deploy hands-on workshops that teach K-12 girls fundamental problem-solving and programming skills, while exposing them to software and hardware platforms the bridge that high school and college levels.

The SRCCR consortium is already writing the follow up proposal fro the existing CPATH award. This will further advance their work with undergraduate and graduate students. However, they are seeking to also expand further, with NSF backing, into K-12 education, and will write a proposal to the broadening participation area of NSF awards. This seed funding will enable them to establish traction, in conjunction with their current CPATH award, in this area. SUNY expects that this will become a separate, fully funded branch of their current social robotics effort.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Professional Development and Networking Workshop for High School Teachers of Computer Science

Virginia Tech’s professional development program will sponsor a series of annual summer workshops, in coordination with the Computer Science Teachers Association, that provide local K-12 computing teachers with the tools and curricula to strengthen the pipeline of women and minority computing students.

The Department of Computer Science will seek funding from two University sources to support the workshops after the first two years: (i) funding from the Diversity Committee of the College of Engineering for incoming student recruitment and (ii) funding from individual members of the CSRC. Longer term, the department will work with the School of Education at Virginia Tech to obtain professional development certification fro the workshop, in order to make attendance more appealing to high school personnel, and to motivate them to (partially) fund their own participation.



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Colorado School of Mines

Recruiting Women into Computer Science through Student Collaboration

This project will study the effects that an introductory computer science course has on recruiting and retaining women in computer science.

We plan to continue this effort beyond the period of funding. If results are promising, it is the intention of the team to request additional funding to further investigate the impact of CSCI 101 on female students.

Hunter College Adapting Emerging Scholars Program

The Computer Science Department at Hunter College proposes to adapt the successful Emerging Scholars Program (ESP) in Columbia’s Computer Science Department for use at Hunter College.

At the end of the two-year award period in Fall 2013, Hunter’s College of Arts and Sciences will assume responsibility for maintaining the program at the level of $2,500 per semester.

Central Washington University

Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Initiative

This undertaking will recruit and retain women and under-represented undergraduate students into the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and Administrative Management (ITAM) degree program through a faculty-mentored undergraduate research experience.

As expressed in the letter of support for the program leader from the Dean of the ITAM Department’s College, the program has institutional commitment to sustaining financial support. Additionally, the ITAM department has over 15 faculty members who could serve as mentors in future years.

Virginia State University

There's an App for That

This program will increase female populations in computer science through a two week summer program targeted at sophomores and juniors from regional high schools.

In order to ensure continuation of the summer enrichment program, we will seek funding from the University and outside sources.

Wilmington University

Project Overview for Recruiting Women into Computing

This project will recruit women into computing through the higher-level concepts of analysis and design. Methods include computer forensic analysis techniques, human-computer interface (HCI) design concepts, gaming, media-rich computer applications, and computer-based graphic design.

After the initial sessions funded by NCWIT, Wilmington University will bear the cost of repeating the sessions to recruit more women into computing. Because women are very active on social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, we will continue to use social networking to dispel negative media images and encourage more women to pursue careers in IT.



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Claremont Graduate University

Claremont-Scripps Computing Academy

Claremont Graduate University will team with Scripps College to establish a pipeline project that encompasses high school, undergraduate and graduate students who will interact and collaborate during four workshops.

The School of Information Systems and Technology at Claremont Graduate University is committed to support the graduate-undergraduate component to help institutionalize the academy and funding for (minimum) 2 additional years has been set aside.

Fisk University Introducing IT Into Gusto

The GUSTO (Girls Using Scientific Tools for Opportunities in STEM) is a collaborative project of Fisk University and Spruce Street Community Development Corporation (SSCDC) to expand an urban community initiative for exposing, encouraging, and preparing females for careers in STEM.

The app development could be included in Fisk’s Pre-College Program. In 2011, there were around 30 students and they were exposed to web tools. In 2012, we may add mobile apps hands-on experience and app development in Pre-College Program.

Union College Peer Led Mentoring and Instruction

Use an existing, successful middle- and high-school outreach program that has been established with NCWIT seed funding at another institution, for the employment of current undergraduate students in leadership and mentoring roles will be utilized in this project.

We are planning to submit a Computing Education in the 21st Century proposal in the spring. This will further advance our work with undergraduate students and enable us to continue the NCWIT focus on middle and high school students.

University of Central Arkansas

Recruiting & Retaining Females in Computing

This project will create a female-friendly learning environment by building a community in which female students will actively engage in learning, research, and service activities; and grow the number of female leaders in IT to fill the gender gap.

The established Computer Science Student Scholarship Fund in the University Foundation will be used to sustain this project. A private donor has recently committed to endow $25,000 for scholarships. We will seek funding from industrial and business partners through our advisory board to sustain the project.

University of Virginia

Recruiting Women and Minorities

The fall preview weekend will be designed to host 30 prospective CS graduate students from traditionally underrepresented groups, providing exposure to MS and PhD programs, computing facilities, and graduate student life at UVa. The preview weekend will also provide faculty with opportunities to learn about prospective graduate students, beyond what can be conveyed on paper, in support of more active recruitment.

The graduate student preview weekend is part of the CS Department’s effort to strengthen recruitment of underrepresented minorities and the Department hopes to make the preview weekend an annual event. Efforts will be made to secure long-term funding from the CS Department, SEAS, and UVa’s Office of the Vice President for Research.



APPENDIX B: NCWIT PRACTICES AND SEED FUND PROGRAMS

PROGRAM/INSTITUTION

NCWIT PRACTICES IDENTIFIED IN PROPOSAL

Brown University » Peer mentoring» Collaborative learning» Targeted recruiting» Hands-on and active learning

CCGIT » Intentional role modeling» Targeted recruiting

Central Washington University

» Achieve diversity goals or benefits related to recruiting, retaining, or advancing the diverserange of females

» To make the numbers of females in computing matter meeting the goals or benefits related to innovation, communication, and talent.

Claremont Graduate University (R4)

» Intentional role modeling» Mentoring» Peer-led team learning» Socially relevant projects

Claremont Graduate University (R8)

» Retaining Women through Collaborative Learning» Using REUs to Retain Female Undergraduates» Meet them where they are

Colorado School of Mines » Retaining women through collaborative learning» Introducing computing and its concepts in an engaging way

Columbia University » Peer-led team learning

DePauw University » Targeted recruiting» Role modeling» Dispelling myths about computing» Showcasing a broad variety of computing careers and lifestyles in computing» Providing information about CS1 (at a critical juncture) and confidence in CS1 ability

Fisk University » Obtain training for effective usage of emerging technologies.» Practice and learn computing principles such as problem solving, algorithms, structured

programming, web services, and social media.» Obtain hands-on experience in software development and programming.» Develop software tools (mobile apps) for community based projects.» Design and implement a major computing project (Mobile App).» Work in a team environment (pair-programming, people management, peer evaluation).» Prepare for the future IT courses.

Hunter College » In the last decade the percentage of women majoring in computer science at Hunter has dropped from more than 25% to less than 10. The ESP workshops at Columbia have been successful in the recruitment and retention of women in the computer science major.

Indiana University » Intro to Computing using CS Unplugged

Oregon State University » Intro to Computing by meeting target audience “where they are”» Socially relevant projects» Outreach-in-a-Box» Roadshow-in-a-Box



PROGRAM/INSTITUTION


Purdue University » Intro to Computing using CS Unplugged» Intro to Computing using Alice» Pair Programming

Rochester Institute of Technology

» Project-based interactive learning

SUNY at Albany » Scalable Game Design

Towson University » Intentional role modeling» Peer-led team learning» Mentoring» Research opportunities for undergraduates

Union College » Recruit students» Peer-led learning» Mentoring

University of California Irvine

» Intro to Computing using Scratch» Intro to Computing using Legos®» Creating inclusive classrooms and discussion and activity-oriented curricula» Collaborative learning» Peer-led learning» Mentoring» Intro to Computing by meeting target audience “where they are”» Talking Points

University of Central Arkansas

» Pair Programming-in-a-Box» Outreach-in-a-Box» Roadshow-in-a-Box» REU-in-a-Box

University of Nebraska Lincoln

» Role model mentoring» Peer-led team learning» Intro to Computing using Storytelling» By the Numbers

University of Pennsylvania (R1)

» Targeted recruiting» Talking Points

University of Pennsylvania (R5)

» Targeted recruiting» Role modeling» Dispelling myths about computing» Showcasing a broad variety of computing careers and lifestyles in computing» Providing information about CS1 (at a critical juncture) and confidence in CS1 ability

University of Texas Austin » Intro to Computing using CS Unplugged» Intro to Computing using Legos®

University of Texas Pan-American

» Intro to Computing using Legos®

» Peer mentoring» Project-based interactive learning» Socially relevant projects

University of Virginia » Attempts to Equalize a Subjective Process» Advisor as Steward of the Discipline» Active recruitment during the proposed preview weekend» Faculty advisor-graduate student relationships



PROGRAM/INSTITUTION


Virginia State University » Snap, create, and share from scratch» Pair programming techniques» Peer-led team learning» Roadshow-in-a-box

Virginia Polytechnic Institute

» Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing» Better Approaches to Well Intentioned but Harmful Messages» Talking Points: Why should a Woman Consider a Career in Information Technology

Waukesha County Technical College

» Intentional role modeling» Peer-led team learning» Mentoring» Research opportunities for undergraduates

Wilmington University » Introducing computing and its concepts in an engaging way



APPENDIX C: VERBATIM RESPONSES TO OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS FROM EVALUATION SURVEY

Q. WHAT IS ONE POSITIVE OUTCOME YOU HAVE SEEN SO FAR? (I.E., SOMETHING GOOD THAT HAPPENED). YOU MAY LIST MORE THAN ONE, IF YOU WISH.

[Responses from both the 2011 and 2012 surveys are included, when available]

» We’ve generated interest among women and underrepresented minorities in pursuing a computer science major (2012). We recruited two outstanding students for the project, an undergraduate peer leader and a graduate project coordinator, both female. (2011)

» Differences between genders. Difficulty of making a lasting impact: teachers are the key. (2011)

» Many of our professors are actively engaged in this program. Some of the student who attended Breakfast Bytes programs are now students in our program. (2011)

» Very positive feedback from undergraduate students. For some, we have shown a completely new face of computing, others are now more sure they are making the correct choice. Change in students’ attitudes toward computing has been remarkable. Using retrospective pretest methodology, we asked the students at the end of the day survey to reflect on their change of attitudes toward 1) how much they know about what computer scientists do 2) wanting to be a computer scientist or computer engineer and 3) selection of a college major. 1-The selection “I know what computer scientists do” changed from 10% in the BEFORE question to 70% in the AFTER question. 2-The change in the percentage of students who responded yes to the question “Do you want to be a computer scientist or computer engineer. In the BEFORE question, 20% of the students responded Yes. In the AFTER question, 42% of the students responded Yes. 3- The change in the percentage of students who would select a computer science major. In the BEFORE the event question, 15% of the students selected the computer science major from a list of majors. In the AFTER the event question, 33% selected the computer science major. (2012) The Women in Computer Science board were greatly impacted by their experience in the WICS HS Day for Girls program. They are planning a series of Tech Nites for HS girls to be held monthly in the fall! (2011)

» On delivering the course the following semester, Interest was higher and retention dramatically increased in the class. (2011)

» We have noticed an increase in the number of females declaring CS as their major, though there are other possible explanations, of course (2011)

» Artemis has an amazingly positive effect on the undergraduate coordinators. They all seem to leave the program feeling totally inspired to further their knowledge of computing. (2012) Some of the girls go on to pursue computer science and become more confident in their schoolwork. They are able to use recommendations from the project for future jobs. (2011)

» More awareness about computing and IT among the parents More awareness about how IT/computing has impacted the society, and to some extent, their motivation and self-efficacy in majoring in computing (2012) Some girls realize what computing is about. Some girls realize that they want to study computer science. Parents realize that we care and that this is a good program that is very informative. (2011)

» Teachers & Guidance Counselors came out with a better understanding of what computer science is and why they should encourage their students to pursue it. (2012) We have continued to build on the relationships we established during the Guidance Counselor and Teachers Day. (2011)

» During the workshops we saw the girls become very excited about technology. (2012)

» More women taking CS1 (2012) Increased participation in CS1 (2011)



» The STEP program at Union was our first attempt to transition the existing social robotics program to a new school. The workshop went well, reaching 40 students, mostly from disadvantaged backgrounds, and a good proportion were female, although pending our IRB certification, exact data was not collected. (2012)

» Two positive outcomes: (i) we have HS teachers repeating their attendance at our workshop because they learned something useful from them to take back to their classrooms (ii) we had much better turnout in northern VA in Oct 2011 for a 1day workshop than in Blacksburg, Va for a 2 day workshop (with overnight stay funds provided). We intend to try a 1.5 day workshop in northern VA again. (2012) # of female students declaring our major is going up. Closer ties to high school teachers. (2011)

» 89% of the respondents, after the program, said they would tell their friends to attend future programs. (The rest did not say respond to the question.) (2011)

» Awareness of the gender gap (2012)

» Someofthepositiveoutcomesoflearninggroupsthatstudents(femalesandmales)reportedinclude:•Learninggroupspromoteinteractivityandactivelearning•Studentsfeelmorecomfortableaskingquestionsinasmallgroupsettingthaninfrontofthewholeclass•Learninggroupsfostertheneedtoworkharderasaresultofthegroupdependingonthem•Students’interestinCScanbepositivelyinfluencedbygroupmembers’attitudesaboutCS•LearninggroupsaregoodforCS/CSCI101specifically•GroupsprovideanopportunitytomeetpeopleTheseoutcomes indicate that the use of learning groups can engage female students, show students that CS is not an asocial field, and strengthen women’s confidence to participate. Additionally, many female students (more than half of the female study participants) reported that they enjoyed working in learning groups in CSCI 101 and that they learned from their peers in the group setting. These findings suggest that incorporating learning groups into an introductory CS course may have the potential to promote female students’ interest in CS. (2012) Based on our preliminary findings, many female students reported that they enjoyed working in learning groups in CS 101 and that they learned from their peers in the group setting. We are still analyzing our data to find whether female students learned more/less with different group formations. (2011)

» A series of nonparametric Mann-Whitney statistical tests were conducted on survey data (n = 191) to determine if significant differences existed between reports of dispositions between boys (n = 69) and girls (n = 122) in grades fourth through eighth. Examination of dispositions prior to participating in the Social Robotics Workshop revealed that girls and boys differed significantly in the areas of knowledge of computing (p < .05) and their interest in robots (p < .01). Girls reported significantly lower pre-workshop ratings in these two areas. However, data indicate there were no differences between the two groups after their participation. Succinctly, the effect of the workshop appears to have balanced the groups. Both boys and girls made significant gains in these two areas, plus they both made significant gains in the area of likelihood to pursue a career in technology. The greater gains among the girls in the areas of knowledge of computing and interest in robots overcame their significantly lower pre-workshop ratings. (2012) Girls are loving this. We’re finding that girls have a bigger increase in level of interest after the workshop in computing and technology careers than boys. (2011)

» Women CS students are more connected to each other (2012) Program has expanded and reaches many more students than first envisioned (2011)

» There is a greater awareness of our university’s Computer Science program within the community. We have received positive feedback from multiple parents and students indicating that they or their children are now considering applying to this university to study computer science. (2011)

» Enthusiasm of faculty to participate and mentor (2012)



Q. WHAT IS ONE UNEXPECTED PROJECT OUTCOME YOU HAVE HAD TO DATE? (I.E., AN OBSERVATION OR FINDING THAT SURPRISED YOU) YOU MAY LIST MORE THAN ONE, IF YOU WISH.


» I met Rita Powell at the NCWIT Summit. She consulted for the Columbia ESP project and we plan to draw on her expertise for our project as well. (2011) It’s not feasible to use online surveys for evaluation because not all of the students will complete them. (2012)

» Initially, adding technology increases the perception of difficulty. (2011)

» It’s hard to schedule around so many other events at UT! (2011)

» The above. I didn’t realize this program had such a large impact on the undergraduate women who co-sponsored it with our CIS dept. (2011) The program has become a popular department event and the faculty really look forward to it every year. We are in our 6th iteration of the program, and more faculty participate each year by teaching a class or giving a lab tour. (2012)

» The goal to recruit more women students to the major did not happen to the degree we had hoped. (2011)

» One of the girls was so impacted by the program that she went on to TA the project the year after, came to Brown and is still here working for computing services. (2011)

» Some girls realize that they do not want to study computer science after the program. This I learn from another on-campus outreach project’s evaluator that this is sometimes to be expected as students learn more about a particular subject, that they realize they are not interested in that subject. (2011) Too few participants expressed increased interest in computing. (2012)

» I’m continually (pleasantly!) surprised at how grateful and appreciative the teachers and guidance counselors are for the information we give them. (2011)

» No action in the past twelve months. (2011)

» Thought that DVD transmission of the CS1 “commercial” would be more effective than YouTube but found the opposite was true. (2011) Found more projects with women who worked with the project early on. (2012)

» % of female students in our major is not changing much. Also, high school teachers have expressed positive views of the collegiality in our department. (2011) HS teachers really want help with lesson plans and tools they can use in the classroom. We are arranging our next workshop topics to emphasize such tools/methods. (2012)

» We worked with the Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI) and the Delaware Department of Education to publicize the workshops in the high schools in Delaware. Given that, we were surprised that approximately 50% of the attendees were mid-career women, over 30 years old, who were considering changing careers. This may be due to the poor economy, or may be because Wilmington University attracts non-traditional, older students. We were expecting better attendance from high school-age girls. (2011)



» Based on our preliminary findings, some female students said that working in groups helped them because they felt more comfortable asking questions of their peers in a small group setting than they did asking questions in front of a whole class. We are still analyzing our data and we are hoping to identify reasons why female students felt more comfortable in group settings (what other factors affected their level of comfort). (2011) 1) We found that female students in our study did not necessarily prefer working in groups with other female students (i.e. groups where they were not the only female present). Although many of the groups that were reported by female students to be successful in general were comprised of more than one female, when female students were asked directly about their preferences there were a variety of responses. Our sample size was small (11 female students responded to this question during an interview or focus group), but the responses were as follows: five reported that they had no preference (e.g., they were used to working with all males so it did not make a difference), three reported that they did prefer having more females in groups (e.g., they preferred groups with other females because they did not feel ignored), and three reported that they preferred being the only female in a group. The students who indicated that they prefer groups without other females reported reasons such as getting along better with male students and not needing to compare oneself to other female students when there are no other females in the group. 2) We found that there was very little change in students’ intent to pursue CS studies after taking CSCI 101. We had hoped to see more recruitment success (i.e., attracting students into the CS major through the use formal learning groups). We found that retention was successful (i.e., nearly all students in our study who came into CSCI 101 as CS majors were still interested in a CS major after taking the course). However, of the students who came into CSCI 101 undecided or with other declared majors, very few gained or lost an interest in majoring in CS. Moreover, when students were asked if learning groups had an impact on their intent to study CS, most reported that learning groups did not have any impact. (2012)

» The feedback we’re getting after the workshop from teachers and parents is that the children brought the lessons home with them, referring to chores with IF-THEN statements, etc. (2011) An unexpected outcome is how excited the workshop leaders have become about the project. This may turn into a retention area if we use it more broadly. (2012)

» We have had several HS teachers inquire how they could become engineers! (2011)

» We had over 130 students from area high schools apply for our summer program. Only 25 positions were available. This interest far exceeded our expectations. There are a number of factors that could have contributed to this high level of interest, however this demonstrates that there is an audience for this type of summer program and motivates us to expand it in future years. (2011)

» The local Girl Scout organization became very difficult to work with and we have not continued this particular partnership with them. We are still working with local troops and offering specialized workshops - but not with the regional office. They wanted everything for free and it became way too costly for us. (2012)

» We had a hard time to get our female students to participate in this project and take advantage of the mentoring opportunities. (2012)

» I have had interest in taking and leading the workshop from a range of students across the college, and not only those who had taken an intro CS course. Although one goal was to engage (in particular) female CS undergraduates as leaders of the workshop, we may also reach out to engage with those have not yet taken a formal CS course. The college STEP program has excellent contacts across the college to facilitate this. (2012)

» I have had interest in taking and leading the workshop from a range of students across the college, and not only those who had taken an intro CS course. Although one goal was to engage (in particular) female CS undergraduates as leaders of the workshop, we may also reach out to engage with those that have not yet taken a formal CS course. The college STEP program has excellent contacts across the college to facilitate this. (2012)

» Difficulty in recruiting students to the program. (2012)



Q. AT THIS POINT, DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT YOUR PROGRAM WILL BE SUSTAINED ONCE THE NCWIT SEED FUND MONEY HAS BEEN USED?


Methods reported for sustaining:

» Through the use of other funding. We have conducted summer workshops 3 years in a row now and expect to continue it. Even the high school teachers have an expectation that we will continue. (2011) Yes, if we can do these workshops either with industrial funding in Blacksburg or as a day activity where the HS teachers can go home over night in northern VA. (2012)

» The faculty and dept. are behind this program. They love it and will continue to run it indefinitely. (2011) The Computer and Information Science Dept. loves this program, and the faculty is committed to it. (2012)

» The program will be sustained by a specific outreach program funded by an endowment at Union College. (2012)

» Seed money was received in first round (several years ago.) We have received substantially more funds each year to continue the program from a variety of industry sponsors. (2011) Seed funds were several years ago and program is still going on. (2012)

» A commitment letter from the Dean of Arts & Sciences was including with our grant proposal. The program will be sustained with funds from the CUNY Coordinated Undergraduate Education (CUE) initiative. (2011) We have a commitment from the dean to sustain the program as long as we can demonstrate that it’s beneficial and accomplishing its purpose. (2012)

» We hope it will be included as a component in another ongoing program to attract women from low-income families to STEM fields and college. (2012)

» Our departments seem committed to supporting the core team, but we are seeking additional funding for student helpers and technology maintenance (robots break!). (2011) We’ve already increased our funding with Time Warner/Connect A Million Minds support. (2012)

» Our money ran out last year, but the department has been funding the program and will continue to do so. (2011)

» There is great interest in the department and we believe that the department will continue to fund the program. (2012)

» We do plan to continue to offer this yearly training for teachers and guidance counselors. (2011)

» The seed funding was used to develop five workshops. We plan to repeat the workshops on an annual basis. (2011)

» Our program will be continued in several ways. First, our introductory CS course will continue to use formal learning groups as an instructional method and based on our findings adjustments will be made to the way the course is delivered. Second, we will continue to collect feedback from students regarding their experiences with formal learning groups in order to optimize the implementation of the learning groups for recruiting women into the CS program. Furthermore, the continued collection of feedback from students (female students in particular) will be critical in ensuring best practices. Finally, we will continue to track female students through the CS program to identify any changes later on in their studies. (2011)

» There is great interest in the department and we believe that the department will continue to fund the program. (2011)

» The Associate Dean of Research is aware of the Grant and the Fall program; My plan is to get her actively involved in the program. It is my hope that she will help to identify funds to continue it. (2012)



» The NCWIT Seed Fund has allowed us to establish some infrastructure (website, advertising material, form letters, evaluations tools, instructional material, etc.) which can be utilized for future programs. This infrastructure allowed students in the Math and Computer Science club to conduct a Computing Academy Saturday program using support from NCWIT. Furthermore, we are conducting a CS4HS program for area high school teachers with support from Google under the same Computing Academy banner. Due to the success of this program, and the strong interest, we are motivated to seek out funding to conduct an expanded program next summer. (2011)

Reasons cited for not being able to sustain or being unsure if they could:

» The Associate Dean of Research is aware of the Grant and the Fall program; My plan is to get her actively involved in the program. It is my hope that she will help to identify funds to continue it.

» Actually, it is yes and no. We have been fortunate so far to have an industry partner to continue to sponsor this. But how long will the relationship last, I don’t know. (2011) We are still trying to secure additional funding to support it ...(2012)

» This funding was received and utilized more than two years ago. We tried to continue the relationship with our local Girl Scout regional office and hit a brick wall- they wanted us to do all the work, they would collect the funds and we would bear all the cost. It was not worth it so we have gone to working with the local troops and offering special workshops for them. (2012)

» Because YouTube proved to be the better mechanism, the cost involved in the project is my time only. (2011) Due to the lack of funding and my involvement with other funded projects. (2012)

» The NCWIT Seed Fund has allowed us to establish some infrastructure (website, advertising material, form letters, evaluations tools, instructional material, etc.) which can be utilized for future programs. This infrastructure allowed students in the Math and Computer Science club to conduct a Computing Academy Saturday program using support from NCWIT. Furthermore, we are conducting a CS4HS program for area high school teachers with support from Google under the same Computing Academy banner. Due to the success of this program, and the strong interest, we are motivated to seek out funding to conduct an expanded program next summer.

» No human resources to do so. (2011)



Q. HOW DID YOU ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY?


» Shared funding from other NSF grants and funding from Google. (2011) We are not there yet. Doing these workshops has convinced us that we need to be involved in K-12 teacher training in CS. We need to explore opportunities on campus for this, and see if our workshops can be factored into a more formal program somehow. (2012)

» Getting broad based involvement of the department faculty and students, a little bit at a time. (2012)

» Connecting with an existing outreach program at Union. (2012)

» Begging. Seriously, we expend a lot of effort reaching out to industrial partners to fund this program. (2012)

» Gaining support from upper administration and department faculty. Tying the goals of the program to strategic goals of the university. (2012)

» By reporting yearly progress to industry sponsors and to the Leadership Team in the College. (2011) Dean has made this a college funded program. (2012)

» We have one more year with our NCWIT funding and will look next year to ensure sustainability. (2011) It is supported by the Computer Science Department and the Advancing Women in Engineering program. (2012)

» The plan is to use institutional funds targeted for student success to sustain the ETC project after the grant ends next year. (2012)

» The Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences actively supports the continuation of offering CS 101 with formal learning groups and adjusting the course based on the findings of the proposed project. (2011) The Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences actively supports the continuation of offering CSCI 101 with formal learning groups and adjusting the course based on the findings of our project. (2012)

» We hope our results will be positive enough to include the component in the existing program in the future. (will know next year) (2012)

» We’ve never charged to run the workshop and we hope to not have to do that. Some programs have offered, but that would severely limit access to the workshop for our more economically restricted groups. I do not have actual numbers on school lunches, but being in an inner city, we clearly serve a poor population. Sustainability will come from continued foundation support. (2011) Training the workshop leaders (undergrad and grad students) so the original leaders do not need to do it. (2012)

» As long as I am teaching, the project will continue (2011) Put my video on YouTube! (2012)

» Obtain additional funding. (2012)

» Sustaining this project will be a continuing effort. However, two important elements were developing material that can be reused from year to year and involving multiple members of the Department in the execution of the program. (2011)

» The department administration was pleased with the student turn-out and the faculty involvement and thus, was committed to continuing the funding. (2011)

» Departmental support for Teaching Assistants. Equipment support- University and Student course fees (2011)

» In terms of human resource, myself being persistent, and spending a lot of time on it. Our department also assigns a staff to help out. And then, of course, out industry sponsor. (2011)

» Each of the instructors, who developed a workshop, submitted the materials that they used for the workshop, so that the workshops could be repeated in the future by other instructors. (2011)

Documents

NCWIT ACADEMIC ALLIANCE SEED FUND...The Academic Alliance (AA) brings together more than 500 distinguished representatives from the computer science and IT departments of colleges