Cornell Tech, CUNY, and Verizon Announce New Tech Education Initiative Targeting Women

Cornell Tech, The City University of New York (CUNY), and Verizon Communications recently announced a new tech initiative targeting young women in the undergraduate- and graduate-school pipeline. The goal of this initiative is to increase the number of women working in technology.

The National Center for Education Statistics report that, although the number of women attending college has increased, the percentage of women who graduate with degrees in technology-related disciplines is less than 1%, and the percentage of computer-science degrees earned by women has decreased by 19% in the past 30 years. The Women in Technology and Entrepreneurship in NY (WiTNY) initiative will provide access, incentives, and support for girls and women to succeed in the tech industry. Verizon is a founding partner, and other companies supporting the initiative include Accenture, Citi Foundation, IBM, Xerox, JPMorgan Chase, AppNexus, and Grand Central Tech.

Cornell Tech and CUNY are partnering to develop programs that will broaden women’s participation in computer-science courses at CUNY, the largest, most-diverse college system in the United States, where the female population exceeds 60% of the total student population. The first program, an introductory computer-science course, was piloted at CUNY’s Macaulay Honors College, with the support of Queens College, LaGuardia Community College, College of Staten Island, and City Tech. WiTNY will also offer summer programs in technology product design and entrepreneurism for graduating high-school senior girls enrolling in CUNY, scholarships for undergraduates, and internships and community support for women pursuing computer-science and related disciplines.

According to Dan Huttenlocher, Dean of Cornell Tech, “At Cornell Tech, we are committed to building and diversifying the base of the technology talent in New York City. Due to lack of access, awareness, and encouragement, women are a significant minority when it comes to tech education and employment. The tech industry is losing out on their diverse input and skills. The new Women in Technology and Entrepreneurship program has the potential to mobilize the next generation of female technology pioneers through educational opportunities, internships, and mentorship, and could serve as a model to increase the number of women in tech nationally.”

For more information on Cornell Tech, visit their Web site.

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