As the tech industry continues its rapid expansion, inclusion of women and individuals of color lags behind. At Rutgers, it's important to us to be part of the solution.
Last fall we launched #RUniteCS,
a volunteer outreach program to spark interest in computer science in middle school
students - because once they hit high school, STEM's appeal plummets dramatically.
In what we've termed "virtual classroom
visits," passionate and talented undergrads host a video panel discussion where kids can learn how we got
interested
in tech and the many directions a career in CS can follow. We tell them about our favorite, often silly coding
projects,
and point them toward free resources they can use to get started. We make every effort to have a diverse group of
panelists
of each discussion, because we feel it's important to show these students someone in whom they can see
themselves. Visits
can range anywhere from ten minutes to a whole class period - classroom time is valuable, so it's always up to
teachers
to decide how much they'd like to use with us.
If you'd like to learn more about our outreach efforts, set up a virtual classroom visit for your class, extend this program to your college please reach out to us at rutgersusacs@gmail.com or tweet us @rutgers_usacs with the hashtag #RUniteCS.
