Inspiring the Next Generation of Female Computer Scientists!

Young Women in Computing is going to start blogging! Check out this blog for recent activities and curriculum that we use to inspire the next generation fo female computer scientists!

Who We are

Young Women in Computing Program (YWiC) is an outreach initiative developed with the vision to increase the participation in computer science (CS) activities and exposure for all students in NM. YWiC is housed in the Department of Computer Science at New Mexico State University and focuses on multidimensional program components such as in-school presentations, after-school programming, summer programs, state-wide competitions, social networking, forums and conferences, plus teacher-program collaborations that will leverage the available resources across opportunities.

2012 Middle School Summer Camp Students

2012 High School Summer Camp Students

What We Do

YWiC began in the summer of 2006 as part of the National Science Foundation’s Broadening Participation in Computing Initiative. Since its inception, YWiC has directly impacted over 5,000 students. YWiC offers a series of integrated curriculum that spans across the multiple areas of middle school, high school and college outreach. This allows the program to reach large groups of students and utilize large scale outreach events to pinpoint students with demonstrated interest in computer science related activities. Those students are then given the opportunity to participate in more intensive and specialized activities like the summer programs, conferences, and competitions.

Overarching goals for YWiC include, but are not limited to:

• Attracting girls and underrepresented minority groups to CS by building confidence in computing
• Presenting curriculum in fun, engaging and supportive atmospheres where successful outcomes are frequently celebrated
• Enhancing problem solving skills and computational competencies for all participants
• Sparking an interest in CS through interaction with graduate, undergraduate and high school mentors who share their knowledge and excitement
• Constructing a sustainable community in CS through engagement with interconnected programming
• Serving as an information portal for students, parents, and teachers
• Developing training in computing through the applications of various programs in real-world contexts (including biology, forensics)
• Establishing community building components to provide a social background for building interest in CS