BPC-DP: Linked Communities and Computing in Context: Empowering Southern New Mexico Women in Computing

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New Mexico State University proposes a project, called Young Women in Computing (YWiC), to develop and implement effective strategies and permanent infrastructures for increasing interest in Computer Science among female students, especially of Hispanic heritage. YWiC ? with interventions starting in middle and high school, and continuing through freshman and sophomore years in college ? will improve recruitment and retention of women, preparing them for academic success and careers in Information Technology and Computer Science. Two themes provide the underlying basis for the interventions: Computing in Context and Linked Communities. Computing in Context will result in curricula that uses computational thinking and media applications of fundamental concepts anchored in real-world contexts (e.g., bioinformatics, assistive technologies, space exploration). Linked Communities will develop community building components, aimed at reducing the sense of isolation, providing a social background for the development of training motivation in computing, and becoming a portal of information for students, parents, and teachers.