Symantec Corporation just recently provided a grant for $100,000 to the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to develop a core class for cyber security training for middle school girls. The partnering of the two is intended to encourage young women to pursue careers in the science, technology, engineering, and math-related fields.
2012 saw the launch of the American Association of University Women’s (AAUW) National Tech Trek Pilot Program, which established seven day long summer camps and conferences for middle school girls, hoping to inspire them to pursue science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) related fields at that pivotal point in their lives. It has expanded to over 1,600 girls at twenty-one separate sites across the country this year. The cyber security course which expands the National Tech Trek Pilot Program will be first trialed at Stanford University, Bowling Green State University, and the University of California.
Both Symantec and AAUW are passionate proponents of attaining more involvement by women in STEM-related fields. Symantec’s vice president of corporate responsibility Cecily Joseph feels that the grant will “bridge the skills gap, looking to create a pipeline of STEM-trained and educated future leaders” while promoting diversity in the workforce. AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman is determined to increase the number of women working in cyber security, the computing workforce, and all other STEM-related fields as well.
AAUW’s new research report set to be released next month called Solving the Equation: The Variables for Women’s Success in Engineering and Computing will explore the causes behind the small numbers of women present in the aforementioned fields. Future activities will encourage girls to pursue creative or inventive careers that will help them to realize their dreams.
