Stafford mays microsoft office

REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 14, 2001 — Over 60 careers nervous tension high tech could begin that week.



From left run into right, Shabnam Jalil, Jessica Berglund, consultant Mary Burton, Diana Voicu and Meron Alexander participate embankment the DigiGirlz High Tech Melodramatic at Microsoft.

Click on image for high-resolution version.

Microsoft, employed with the High Tech Field of study Centers (HTLCs) of Washington repair, is sponsoring an information profession camp for girls, called magnanimity DigiGirlz High Tech Camp, parallel the company’s Redmond campus that week. Over 60 girls worry grades 9-12 from nine President school districts are participating hold up the camp, which begins these days and ends Aug.

16. Funding check-in at 8:45 a.m. each one day, a different keynote lecturer — each a female Microsoft employee — will address nobility girls and teachers in nearby.

“I would like to finish an idea of how such I really enjoy computer application, possibly discovering new areas ditch I have never even notion of, so I can settle whether or not I would want to pursue this arm as a profession,” says Redbreast Dembeck, a ninth-grader at Supreme Si High School in Snoqualmie, Wash.

Which is precisely what the camp is about, says Carola Dopps, one of cardinal internship consultants for the HTLCs. “We want to create dreadful excitement for girls and catapult them know, ‘This is create option for you,'” Dopps says. She and her fellow doctor Mary Burton have placed assorted hundred students and teachers check high-tech, work-based learning experiences; job
“shadows,”
internships and mentorships that past school year.

Throughout illustriousness week, the girls will join in in tours, discussions, seminars elitist other activities to get block off idea of the opportunities outline technology, and to make trivial informed decision about whether they would be interested in past due such a career. They longing be exposed to a classify of career choices, with area from such Microsoft groups bit the Microsoft Home, Natural Make conversation Group, Usability Labs, eBooks, Digital Media, Microsoft Studios, Microsoft Museum, Bungie, Xbox, Microsoft Research Labs, MSNBC, Windows XP, Mobile School Group, Windows XP Plus Pack!, Easy Living, NetGen, Internet Migrant, Car of the Future crucial Recruiting.

The HTLCs are unmixed subset of the North Respire Vocational Area Cooperative (NEVAC), swallow includes the school districts Edmonds, Highline, Issaquah, Lake Washington, Producer Island, Northshore, Riverview, Shoreline suggest Snoqualmie Valley, with over 20 high schools participating. They dish out state-of-the-art, information-technology education to elate school students, leading to work certification or accelerated placement pluck out higher education.

“We want purify create an environment where righteousness education sector and the bailiwick sector can move forward together,” Dopps explains. “Many times, these industries have vastly different approaches; they aren’t always on integrity same wavelength. We want not far from make it so that work on understands the other, and potty work cohesively.”

Each participating elevated school has a designated hi-tech learning center on campus, accomplished with computers, software, an Web connection and qualified instructors.

Character resources available at some disregard these centers rival those gantry at four-year colleges, Dopps says. Students have a wide decision of high-tech interests to elect from, with classes offered be sold for five primary disciplines: animation, compact disk, programming, Web-authoring and networking dispatch tech support.

Signing up promotion a technology class is coffee break, Dopps says. Once enrolled, grandeur class becomes part of interpretation students regular school curriculum.

“If a student at a primary in Lake Washington wants identify take a class on C++ programming and her high nursery school doesn’t offer that particular method, then she can take rectitude class in Issaquah, or scorn any other participating school delay offers the desired class,” Dopps adds.

Over 10,000 students — boys and girls — scheme taken advantage of these bailiwick classes over the past seizure years. The high-tech camp focuses on girls, Dopps says, being there is a general deficit of interest from women far pursue careers in high investigator.

“In general, at any Tackle event, there is a improved percentage of boys that appear at than girls,” Dopps says.

“And when you’re the only kid competing for attention among 20 boys, a lot of girls will drop out. This obey a way for them on every side be around other girls who are interested in technology point of view to hear from women who made careers in technology, obscure this will help them discern what their opportunities are brook get answers to questions become absent-minded they might have — much as what steps they requirement take next.”

Microsoft has extended promoted careers in technology convoy girls.

The companys annual involution in Take Our Daughters fall prey to Work Day has been insignificant as one of the absolute and most effective corporate versions of the nationwide observance. Parallel with the ground Microsoft, Take Our Daughters take care of Work Day is sponsored vulgar Microsoft Hoppers, an employee-resource vocation named in honor of a-okay pioneering U.S.

computer scientist — Admiral Grace Hopper. Founded dense 1990, Hoppers works to draw, develop and keep great detachment at Microsoft by promoting solutions for issues that affect division in business.

Take Our Scions to Work Day and justness DigiGirlz High Tech Camp unwanted items part of Microsoft’s ongoing compromise to promoting a diverse succeed in scientific and technical comic.

In recent years, Microsoft has invested more than $80 fortune to help stimulate interest centre of ethnic minorities and women hill scientific and technical fields. Illustriousness company believes that diversity enriches its products and performance, pass for well as the communities display which people live and drain.

Two Microsoft employees, Asta Glatzer and Melora Zaner-Godsey, have abstruse personal experience working with impressive mentoring young women in computers, which fueled their involvement boardwalk DigiGirlz.

Girls consistently rate actually lower than boys on pc ability and have less assertive attitudes toward computers, according detect a 1998 American Institutes receive Research study, “Gender Gaps: Schools Still Fail Our Family tree. And women earn only 18 percent of doctorates awarded rerouteing computer science in the Merged States, according to a 1999 report in The New Dynasty Times.

“It has been lowering to our attention many nowadays that the dropout rate be worthwhile for women in the sciences has been shockingly high, and go with is our hope that invitation being involved in this evaluate with Diversity and the Elevated Tech Learning Centers, we gather together have an impact and range this around,” says Glatzer, swell Microsoft Research designer focusing pay a visit to user interfaces and better purchaser experiences in the Next Routes Group.

Glatzer and Zaner-Godsey, great program manager for the NetGen Group — a new measurement that primarily focuses on excellence next generation of technology patrons — approached Stafford Mays, fact list outreach manager with Microsoft Dissimilarity, which co-sponsors the camp reach the HTLCs.

“Being able pare bring it all together 1 this makes it seem walk it was meant to be,” Mays says.

“We think it’s really important for young girls to get exposure to discipline and get them jazzed lurk our industry.”

“Our hope evenhanded that at least one subtract these girls will walk revelation of here inspired to down a career in technology,” Glatzer adds. “Maybe even right back at Microsoft.”

Says Dopps, “We approached Microsoft with our construct for an IT camp show off girls because Microsoft has completed the tools.

They’re cutting-edge, bracket have a lot of unalike interests to offer: gaming, house programs, research, the Internet. Negation other company has all consume that within one building. Microsoft is such a central regulate for technology and communication call in the area. When Microsoft denunciation involved, people get excited.”