What's
New at GECDSB?
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What's
New at GECDSB? |
IBM and the Greater
Essex County District School Board
It has been observed for a long time now that young ladies aged 11-13 close a number of career options when they lose interest in mathematics and science. IBM Canada and the Greater Essex County District School Board are trying to do something about this with their “Women in Technology” initiative. It's not a new concept. Women leaders in IBM Canada have organized a few events for young ladies in the Toronto area in the past. The concept is simple. Teenage girls are partnered with a woman who has chosen a career in mathematics, science, or computers and they participate together in a number of activities designed to encourage the teenagers to consider all of their options. It works well in urban areas where IBM has a large presence. There are plenty of “IBMers” there to help out. In Southwestern Ontario, the IBM presence is considerably smaller. Can it be made to work? You bet. Greater Essex has its own chapter of mentors who work very hard to afford students in grades 7 and 8 the same opportunities. Reaching out into the community, we have our own twist on this great concept. Mentors from the local school districts, IBM Canada, the City of Windsor, the University of Windsor, the Windsor Public Library, and local industry form a cadre of volunteers that are making these sessions much sought after by our schools. The program is championed by Greater Essex County DSB Director Mary Jean Gallagher and IBM Systems Engineer Julie Parkyn. Their efforts and connections continue to make the WIT Days a success. Mrs. Gallagher notes "It is a true pleasure for me to return to my role as a teacher for a day. The girls are involved, excited and inspiring. My congratulations and thanks to IBM for stepping forward to meet this need for our young women to understand the full range of opportunities they have ahead of them."
Setup is relatively straight forward. The formula ensures amazing results. A typical session would have anywhere from 30-60 young ladies. They are divided (in advance, by the school to ensure success) into groups of 3 or 4. Each group is provided a single laptop computer, their own table, some instructions, and a mentor. The rest is magic. The session starts with some ice breaking activities and an inspirational talk about the opportunities in mathematics and science for today's students. Together, each group then begins the process of using the technology to convey the group message. The medium? Each group creates a website. At the end of the session, the young ladies proudly display their website and introduce their mentor to the others. It's really at this point that you wonder who learned the most as a result of the session!
To a person, the comments about the day are extremely positive.
"I enjoyed my trip here. It was really cool that we got to design a website and meet qualified people in the computer field. Thank you." "I, myself had a wonderful time. The representative from IBM made a great point about why we were there. Men have always been the leaders in technology, but our mentors were there to try to change our minds about not only men, but women too! " “We went to Concord to learn about Women in Technology business. They taught us that we have just as many opportunities as guys and we should NEVER, EVER forget it.” The local media has taken an interest in the program as well. Local
newspapers and radio stations are eager to cover the event. Everyone
wants to ensure that no door is prematurely closed for these students. " IBM has a strong commitment to ensuring that the future technology workforce is equally represented with both men and women," said Julie Parkyn, local IBM Representative. "Women In Technology is an initiative that we are excited to be bringing to the Greater Essex County District School Board to help expose the next generation of working women to the wonder of technology."
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