August 27, 2008
CIS Program Seeks to
Resolve the Digital Divide Between African-American Women with New Grant
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida A&M University (FAMU) Computer
to recruiting minority women to computer
science and information technology disciplines. "The numbers are
staggering," said Jason T. Black, Ph. D., assistant
The fact is that women are not choosing
technology, and this is a dangerous predicament. When you couple that with the
fact that it is estimated that 75 percent of all jobs by the
financial need and an interest in computer sc
ience or information technology. AAWCS, created by Black, also the
principal investigator for the program, and Edward L. Jones, Ph. D.
, chair of the CIS program, will directly
address the dismal number of minority women, particularly African-American women
that pursue degrees in computer science or
women will participate in CIS departmental
clubs and organizations, such as the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Club, the National Society of Black Engineers
Participation (FGLSAMP) scholarship program,
and the Students and Technology in Academia, Research and Service (STARS)
Alliance, both NSF-funded programs. An added benefit to
the students is the conference participation,
where selected AAWCS scholars will be chosen to attend two national conferences,
paid for by the grant, each year, such as the Grace Hopper
Information Sciences (CIS) Program, housed in the College of Arts and Sciences,
is the recipient of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant valued at $552,000
dedicated
professor in CIS. "The latest data shows that out of all U.S. entering freshmen
declaring a major in computer science, African-American women made up only 3.3
percent.
year 2020 will require a technology background, it becomes a crisis call."
The program, entitled African-American Women in Computer Science, (AAWCS), is a
four-year program that provides scholarships and other assistance to women who
express a
information technology.
Women who apply to AAWCS will be accepted based on financial need, and will be
awarded a scholarship of between $3,000 and $5,000 per semester. In
addition to the funding, the
(NSBE), and the CIS Mentoring Organization (CISMO). AAWCS scholars will also be
involved in other STEM programs, such as the Florida/Georgia Louis Stokes
Alliance for Minority
Celebration of Women in Computing and the National Conference of Women in
Information Technology (NCWIT).
The AAWCS program begins operation on July 1 and will run until June 30, 2012.
Applications for the program can be requested by contacting Black at
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AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS ARE NOT APPLYING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS:
Even if you do not have a college-aged child at home, please share this with someone who does, and to anyone and everyone that comes to mind. Though there are a number of companies and organizations that have donated money for scholarships to African Americans, a great deal of the money is being returned because of a lack of interest or awareness.
No one is going to knock on our doors and ask if we can use a scholarship.
Take the initiative to get your children involved. Money shouldn't be returned to donating companies because we fail to apply for it.
Please pass this information on to family members, nieces, nephews, friends with children etc. We must get the word out that money is available. If you are a college student or getting ready to become one, you probably already know how useful additional money can be.
(If clicking on the link doesn't work, then type in the Web site address manually.)
1) BELL LABS FELLOWSHIPS FOR UNDER REPRESENTED MINORITIES http://www.bell-labs.com
2) Student Inventors Scholarships http://www.invent.org/collegiate/
3) Student Video Scholarships http://www.christophers.org
4) Coca-Cola Two Year College Scholarships http://www.coca-colascholars.org
5) Ayn Rand Essay Scholarships http://www.aynrand.org/contests/
6) Brand Essay Competition http://www.instituteforbrandleadership.org/IBLEssayContest-2002Rules.htm
7) Gates Millennium Scholarships (major) http://www.gmsp.org
8) Sports Scholarships and Internships http://www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships.html
9) National Assoc. Of Black Journalists Scholarships http://www.nabj.org
10) Saul T. Wilson Scholarships (Veterinary) http://www.aphis.usda.gov
11) Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund http://www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org/sk_v6.cfm
12) FinAid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid scholarships) http://www.finaid.org/
13) Presidential Freedom Scholarships http://www.nationalservice.org/scholarships
14) Microsoft Scholarship Program http://www.microsoft.com
15) Hope Scholarships &Lifetime Credits http://www.ed.gov/inits/hope
16) William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students http://www.apsanet.org/PS/grants/aspen3.cfm
17) Guaranteed Scholarships http://www.guaranteed-scholarships.com/
18) Maryland Artists Scholarships http://www.maef.org/
19) Jacki Tuckfield Memorial Graduate Business Scholarship (for AA students in South Florida) http://www.jackituckfield.org/
20) Historically Black College & University Scholarships http://www.iesabroad.org/info/hbcu.htm
21) Actuarial Scholarships for Minority Students http://www.beanactuary.org
22) International Students Scholarships &Aid Help http://www.iefa.org/
23) Siemens Westinghouse Competition http://www.siemens-foundation.org/
24) GE and LuLac Scholarship Funds http://www.lulac.org
25) CollegeNets Scholarship Database http://mach25.collegenet.com/cgi-bin/M25/index
26) Union Sponsored Scholarships and Aid http://www.aflcio.org/scholarships/scholar.htm
27) Federal Scholarships &Aid Gateways 25 Scholarship Gateways from Black Excel http://www.blackexcel.org/25scholarships.htm
28) Scholarship &Financial Aid Help http://www.blackexcel.org/fin-sch.htm
29) FAFSA On The Web (Your Key Aid Form &Info) http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
30) Aid &Resources For Re-Entry Students http://www.back2college.com/
31) HBCU Packard Sit Abroad Scholarships (for study around the world) http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/packard_nomination.html
32) Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities http://ccmi.uchicago.edu/schl1.html
33) INROADS internships http://www.inroads.org/
34) Black Alliance for Educational Options Scholarships http://www.baeo.org
35) ScienceNet Scholarship Listing http://www.sciencenet.emory.edu/undergrad/scholarships.html