Grant helps bring women, underrepresented minorities into Information Technology Careers

HCC has been awarded grant funding as part of a project to bring more women and underrepresented minorities into information technology (IT) and computing education and careers throughout Massachusetts. The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded a $1.9 million grant to extend the Commonwealth Alliance for Information Technology Education (CAITE)* for an additional 2 years and to add 6 additional institutions to the existing alliance, of which HCC is a member.

Community colleges are the centerpiece of CAITE because of the central role they play in reaching underserved populations and in acting as a gateway to careers and further higher education. Careers in IT are projected to grow nationally and statewide.

CAITE funding will enable HCC to offer a paid summer internship program for high school students wishing to explore careers in IT by assisting IT staff on campus. It will also underwrite an innovative Fall 2009 course designed to encourage non-IT majors to take exploratory courses in IT.  “Artbotics” combines computer science, robotics, and art.  Students can earn four lab science credits by creating interactive, public exhibits.

For more information, visit www.caite.info or www.takeITgoanywhere.org

*This project is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No.

CNS-0634412.

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