NOTE:NCWIT and Bank of America awarded the 2009 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing on Saturday, March 7th, to 32 high-school women from across the country. Elisabeth Morant won her NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing at the Bank of America Celebrating Stars of the Future Technology Showcase and Awards Ceremony in August 2008.
While I have been playing video games since before I learned how to read, my first encounter with programming was at the Northwestern Center for Talent Development camp the summer before sixth grade. While not particularly robust or sophisticated, MicroWorlds harbored an opportunity for creativity and experimentation that seemed boundless. What drew me to programming the most was that it gave me an opportunity to apply my own creativity beyond the programs we were required to write.
Ever since that summer experience, my interest in programming has only increased. I have taken computer science courses at summer enrichment programs, my high school, and the University of Chicago, and I am eager to continue my education in college. Winning the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing served to further motivate my enthusiasm for the subject. Not only was I able to meet twenty-seven other girls from across the nation with a similar passion for computer science, but I was also given the opportunity to meet women in the field who I can look up to as role models. It is for this reason that I encourage all high school females interested in computer science to apply for this award!
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Aspirations in Computing
Aspirations in Computing (AiC) provides encouragement, enables persistence, opens doors, and changes lives for women in technology from K-12 through career.
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BridgeUP STEM
BridgeUP STEM provides opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to learn the skills of computer science and research methodology within a research university setting.
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Color of Our Future
The Color of Our Future focuses on broadening the meaningful participation of underrepresented women and girls of color (Black, Latinx, and Native American).
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Conversations for Change
Conversations for Change is an online thought leadership series that presents research-based recommendations and prompts peer-to-peer discussions to further inclusivity in computing.
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Counselors for Computing
Counselors for Computing (C4C) offers professional development to school counselors, positioning them to effectively guide ALL students in exploring computing pathways.
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Higher Ed Programs
Higher Ed programs recognize students’ computing aspirations, honor faculty for their outstanding mentorship, secure strategic buy-in for lasting change, and more.
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NCWIT Recognitions
NCWIT Recognitions foster great potential that otherwise may have gone unrecognized, and foster great ideas that might never have come to fruition.
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Regional Initiatives
NCWIT’s Regional Initiatives bundle research-backed programs and practices to increase the local participation of women and girls in tech fields and careers. To understand local computing ecosystems, and cater content and programming to needs on the ground, NCWIT partners with community stakeholders to build awareness, inspire participation, and connect women to like-minded peers, role models, and opportunities.
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Sit with Me
Sit With Me uses its iconic red chair to create in-person and virtual spaces where everyone can reflect on the value of diversity and inclusion.
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Tech Inclusion Journey
The Tech Inclusion Journey (TIJ) is a unique, scalable software platform that empowers change leaders to implement systemic, sustainable approaches to the creation of inclusive cultures.
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