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 National
Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is a
coalition of over 200 prominent corporations, academic
institutions, government agencies, and non-profits working to
increase women's participation in information technology (IT).
NCWIT was created to identify the reasons why there aren't
more women in IT; identify what research and interventions can
best attract and retain women to IT; leverage existing,
effective efforts; and build a united, national platform for
progress.
They believe that inspiring more women to choose careers in IT
isn't about parity; it's 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.
Why WIT Exists:
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Girls represented just 17 percent of Advanced Placement
computer science (CS) exam-takers in 2008; that’s the lowest
female representation of any AP exam.
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In 2008 women earned only 18 percent of all CS degrees. Back
in 1985, women earned 37 percent of CS degrees.
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Women hold more than half of all professional occupations in
the U.S. but only 25 percent of all computing-related
occupations.
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Only 11 percent of corporate officer positions at Fortune
500 technology companies are held by women.
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A study on U.S. technology patenting reveals that patents
created by mixed-gender teams are the most highly cited (an
indicator of their innovation and usefulness); yet women
were involved in only 9 percent of U.S. tech patents.
(Check
out more statistics about Women and IT.)
As a coalition, NCWIT leverages the work of organizations
across the country. Through the support of Alliance members –
whose programs include outreach, retention, curriculum reform,
research, and leadership, and image programs – NCWIT's work
connects the entire pipeline, from K-12 and higher education
through industry and academic careers. NCWIT's national
infrastructure of Alliances, workshops, research,
publications, and evaluation provides Alliance members with
the tools and support to increase girls' and women's
participation in their programs and undertake institutional
change within their organizations. Member organizations
identify and implement best practices for recruiting,
retaining, and advancing women, and through NCWIT, work to
build accelerated results. This is
how they work.
Have more questions? Visit the
Frequently Asked Questions page.
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The NCWIT Summit on women and IT: practices
and ideas to revolutionize computing focuses on
research-driven best practices for recruitment,
retention, and educational and institutional
reform, in the context of topics such as
innovation, diversity of thought, K-12
education, organizational change, and image. The
Summit offers NCWIT members the opportunity to
meet face-to-face at least once per year,
compare notes, share promising practices, and
build momentum for their efforts. Past speakers
have included Curt Coffman, Mae Jemison, Maria
Klawe, Barack Obama, Ray Ozzie, Padmasree
Warrior, and Jeannette Wing.
The
NCWIT Summit is held each year in May, and is
hosted by member institutions around the
country. The NCWIT Summit is open only to
NCWIT members and invited guests, but they
do welcome visitors. If you're interested in
attending a NCWIT Summit, please
contact them. |
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NCWIT's Alliances bring to bear the
experience of over 200 organizations nationwide.
Together they comprise the community of
practitioners who identify, contribute, and
pilot promising practices, and who undertake
institutional change. The NCWIT Social Science
Advisory Board provides these Alliances with a
firm footing of research and advisory expertise.
By sharing resources and leveraging successes,
Alliance members help NCWIT to create an
amplified voice for women in IT. The alliances
are:
Academic,
Workforce,
Entrepreneurial,
K-12, and
Social Science Advisory Board. |
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The
NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing
honors young women at the high-school level for
their computing-related achievements and
interests. Awardees are selected for their
computing and IT aptitude, leadership ability,
academic history, and plans for post-secondary
education. The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in
Computing offers both a national and local
"affiliate" competitions to generate support and
visibility for women's participation in
communities nationwide. They are proud to
announce 19 Affiliate Award programs serving 20
states and US territories in the 2010/2011
round. |
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