Multi-level International Programs Working to Change Perceptions About IT Courses and Careers AND Panel: Selected Outreach Activities in British Columbia

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Multi-level International Programs Working to Change Perceptions About IT Courses

Panelists: Catherine Lang (Swinburne University of Technology), MaryAnne Egan (Siena College), Jan Peters (British Computer Society)

Three programs from different countries aimed at encouraging students to consider IT careers will be presented. Digital Divas, from Australia presents a school elective for 13-14 year olds. IMPACT, from USA presents a day of “career exploration and competition in CS and IS for older students unaware of their computing talent. Cyberellas, from UK is a program that has 'cyberellas' shadow an IT professional and digitally document their experiences.

[Slides from this presentation]

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Selected Outreach Activities in British Columbia

Panelists: Yvonne Coady (University of Victoria), Anne Condon (University of British Columbia), Celina Gibbs (University of Victoria), Janice Regan (Simon Fraser University), April Webster (University of British Columbia), Rachel Pottinger (University of British Columbia)

Many different outreach activities exist encourage children to enter computer science. It is often thought that such activities represent a good opportunity to catch people, especially girls, before they opt out of the computer science pipeline. In this panel we propose to talk about four such activities that are aimed at children of various ages, and the overall vision of the funding agency that allowed them to participate.