The MCWT Foundation GET-IT High School Program stands for Girls Exploring Together Information Technology. It is a program to encourage high school girls to consider and ultimately pursue a career in Information Technology. It is an after school team activity, running from September through the end of the school year.
What is in it for the girls?
The major activities for students in the GET-IT program include:
- Robotics – GET-IT girls participate in Robofest, a Lego Robotics competition sponsored by Lawrence Technological University (LTU). Students also participated in the Thanksgiving RoboParade at LTU.
- Web Design Contest – Each year, the MCWT Foundation runs a Web Design Contest spanning a number of high schools. The students used html coding to create web pages on the topic of their choice. Judges from MCWT and industry leaders award prizes to the winners.
- Business Speakers – Speakers are scheduled by the girls, themselves, (with help from MCWT members) to come and speak to students. All the speakers are successful business professionals, at various stages of their own career evolution. This gives students a perspective on the real-world applications of IT and expands their career considerations.
- Field Trips – Past GET-IT field trips include Robot programming training at LTU, a tour of Fanuc Robotics, the YES! Expo at Cobo Hall, and a business meeting and tour at ArvinMeritor.
- Other Flexible Programs – MCWTF is constantly working with folks like the University High School (UHS) GET-IT Chapter to expand program offerings based on students’ interests. Some other options include a design patent project and job shadowing.
GET-IT is an outstanding opportunity for enrichment while having fun. Students involved in the GET-IT program get hands-on exposure to technology. They explore a growing career field while enhancing their math and science skills, and confidence. In addition, students in the GET-IT program enjoy the camaraderie of being part of a team. GET-IT students are better prepared for college because they have honed their teamwork, problem-solving, and organization skills.
What is required of GET IT high schools?
In order for MCWTF to support a GET-IT team at a school, there are a few requirements of the school itself:
- There must be a faculty advisor.
- There must be a location for regular meetings.
- Ideally, there is a computer lab where work sessions and classes can be held.
- All students are asked to sign a press and photo release form. MCWT uses the high school's name in the media.
- There will be occasions where the students will need rides to classes, visits to local companies and competitions. The GET-IT group will need transportation, either through a school bus or parents.
What is required of GET-IT faculty advisors?
The amount of time required of faculty advisors varies depending on the level of involvement chosen by the advisor. Generally, an hour-long biweekly meeting is sufficient. The exception to this is during competition “crunch time” when several longer meetings will be needed. There is one requirement for a final report summarizing GET-IT activities and use of MCWTF funds at the end of the school year.
Approximately three (3) Saturdays are needed for the Robofest competition, plus additional time for robotics training. The web design classes will be after school or on Saturdays, and the final competition will take place on a Saturday.
Field trips, business speakers, job shadowing, and additional programs can be arranged at the discretion of the advisor with the support of the MCWT Foundation. Field trips will require school or parent transportation and the attendance of the faculty advisor or other supervisor.
Why should you sponsor a GET-IT High School program?
The numbers of students entering and completing technical degrees is rapidly falling. We are facing a severe shortage in technology workers in the U.S. In addition, the numbers of women in IT have been falling steadily over the past 20 years, from 42 percent down to an all time low of 26 percent in 2006. Lastly, Catalyst and other national organizations have provided persuasive evidence that well-managed diverse teams produce better solutions to problems than homogeneous teams.
Most organizations today have goals for both diversity and for outreach into the community or some type of community service program. Every company has a need for technology workers. An ideal solution would be to find one initiative that meets all of these goals, while providing its members and employees with the opportunity to participate directly in community outreach activities – a proven job-enrichment strategy and life satisfier. The Michigan Council of Women in Technology, and its Foundation, can be a perfect partner in helping any organization achieve these goals, particularly through participation in the GET-IT high school program. Sponsoring a GET-IT high school program would provide an organization/corporation with:
- The opportunity to directly influence students toward pursuing IT careers, addressing the problem of the rapidly shrinking pipeline of technology workers;
- The opportunity to work directly with students in economically disadvantaged environments to choose a life path that will offer vastly different social and economic opportunities and potentially change their lives forever;
- The opportunity to have employees or members get involved in a simple, contained manner; they can simply sign up for small project tasks or bigger events like site visits, and the management and coordination is completely taken care of by the MCWT Foundation;
- The chance to provide strong satisfaction to employees or team members by sponsoring them in giving back to the community and opening new avenues for their personal growth through the interaction with extraordinarily bright, young, future IT leaders.
By taking advantage of an established program managed by an organization known for the highest standards in program delivery, your members can become actively involved, make a real change in our community, grow the ranks of IT workers, and achieve personal growth and satisfaction - all without YOU having to create and manage an entire new program. The GET IT program runs from September through May, and students generally meet every two weeks. Sponsoring organizations' participation opportunities will be:
- 4-5 speaking engagements at the school (1 hour each)
- Hosting site visits where students come to your place of business (2-3 hours)
- Up to 40 job shadowing opportunities (1 day)
- Volunteering at various competitions, including the web design contest and Robofest (2-8 hours)
What is required of GET-IT Sponsors?
Corporate sponsors or other community organizations are offered the opportunity to sponsor one of the GET-IT high schools. This opportunity gives the sponsoring organization the chance to get directly involved with the girls in our community. Through this well managed program, sponsor employees or members will be able to be role models for a couple of hours, have a shadow for a day, be a judge in the web design contest, host a site visit and more. Throughout the course of the year, there are multiple opportunities for exposure in the press, highlighting the sponsor organization and the volunteer employees or members.
Please contact info@mcwt.org for more information.