CompuGirls Cybersecurity: A Culturally Responsive Model for Underanticipated Girls
The Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology in the School of Social Transformation was selected for a U.S. Department of Defense DSEC grant to design and implement the CompuGirls Cybersecurity week-long camp on the ASU Tempe campus from June 7-13, 2020. The program invites underanticipated and underrepresented girls (e.g., Black, Latinx, Native American, military families) from 8th - 12th grades who are interested in learning about Cybersecurity, Computer Science, and Information Technology. Students will have an opportunity to learn how technology can be created to address community needs in a culturally relevant approach, receive mentorship from STEM industry leaders, and career exploration related to technology and STEM. The program is recruiting female undergraduate freshmen majoring in STEM fields to serve as peer mentors and residential and teaching assistants.
During the CompuGirls Cybersecurity camp, 30 girls will be identified to enroll in an online “Introduction to Information Technology” course offered through ASU Prep Digital for the Fall 2020 semester. Throughout the semester, students will receive mentorship by industry leaders in STEM professions, participate in job shadowing once a month, and tour military STEM labs. The fall semester activities provide an opportunity for the girls to engage in Cybersecurity curriculum, which strengthens their academic trajectory to purse a major and career in STEM fields. These girls will begin to increase the percentages of women of color majoring and earning degrees in Computer Science and Technology. In 2018, BS degrees were awarded to Asian women at 32%, Latina women earned 5%, Black women 5%, American Indian and Alaska Native women earned 0% (Scott & Solyom, 2019). In order to raise participation and success in Computer Science and Technology of girls of color it is important to introduce them to STEM programs like CompuGirls Cybersecurity in middle- and high school.
Project Director and Community Liaison
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