Campus event encourages girls to consider IT careers
More than 80 young women from seven area high schools are set to visit campus later this month to learn more about IT careers as part of a special event called GLITTER (Get Launched in Technology through Education and Resources). Now in its eighth year, the half-day event allows participants to connect with women who have built successful IT careers, both on campus and in the private sector.
“Right now women represent only about 15 percent of the technology workforce,” said GLITTER organizer and IT Program Manager Lisa Sandoval. “We’re hoping to make a dent in that statistic by showing these girls that careers in IT offer rewarding, lucrative and flexible options for women.”
The event will also feature a variety of workshops on applying to college and navigating financial aid, among others, to encourage those who attend to start thinking about higher education. Current IT students will offer a day-in-the-life look at what it’s like to be a student at Seattle Central.
The program is hosted in partnership with local non-profit IGNITE (Inspiring Girls in Technology Evolution). The organization establishes chapters in schools across the globe to connect young girls with female mentors and role models who have careers in STEM fields.
GLITTER relies on people in the community for financial support and donations of prizes for the attendees. For more information on how you can support this event, email organizer Lisa Sandoval.