NextGen Tech Women: Supporting Aspirations

What if you knew there was a young girl who had the potential to cure cancer? What if you knew there was a teenage girl who had the potential to engineer affordable, realistic robotic body parts for amputees? What if you knew there was a young woman who had the potential to design sci-fi worthy tools that could repair broken bones and broken hearts, if she got the education, training, support and opportunities she needed?

What if you knew that these were real girls, with real aspirations, and there was something you could do to help them realize their dreams?

These girls are real and are a few of the 2011 winners of the National Center for Women & Information Technology's (NCWIT) Award for Aspirations in Computing.

And…there is something you can do to help them realize their dreams!

With the help of people across the social web and corporate sponsors, NextGen Tech Women plans to raise $25,000 between now and May 5, 2011 to support the next generation of women technologists. Our effort will be hosted on Crowdrise, the fun way to do good, raise money, and change the world. You can also join us on Facebook and Twitter. The money will go directly to the Aspirations Award fund.

NextGen Tech Women is an effort organized by Danny Brown, a top 50 marketing blogger and co-founder of Bonsai Interactive Marketing; Geoff Livingston, a top cause marketing and non profit blogger and co-founder of Zoetica Media; Kami Watson Huyse, a popular social media and public relations blogger and co-founder of Zoetica Media; Allyson Kapin, founder of Women Who Tech and partner in RAD Campaign; and Julie Pippert, a well-respected parenting and political blogger and account director of Zoetica Media.

The Aspirations Award works to encourage women's continued interest in computing, attract the attention and support of educational and corporate institutions, and emphasize the importance of women’s participation in computing and IT.

It has succeeded in attracting attention and support from education institutions. All of the following schools offer scholarships to recipients of the NCWIT award for aspirations in computing:

• University of California Berkeley
• University of California Santa Cruz
• University of Colorado at Boulder
• Colorado School of mines
• Harrison College
• University of Houston downtown
• Indiana University Bloomington
• IUPUI: Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Massachusetts Boston
• University of Massachusetts Lowell
• Notre dame
• Purdue University
• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
• Rutgers University
• University of Texas at Austin
• Virginia Tech

Awardees are selected for their demonstrated outstanding aptitude and interest in information technology/computing; solid leadership ability; good academic history; and plans for post-secondary education. In its fifth year now, the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing has grown to a combined national and affiliate program. The 35 young women chosen as national winners of the 2011 NCWIT award for aspirations in computing were selected from among more than 2,800 students, representing all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and overseas military bases.

It’s time to do more than talk about supporting girls and women in tech. Come donate now at our Crowdrise page and help the next generation of innovative young women fulfill their dreams to bring their leadership, drive, creativity, intelligence and skills into the workplace.

It can only benefit us all.

For more information:

All About the National Center for Women & Information Technology's (NCWIT)

• NCWIT
• About the work they do
• NCWIT awards and winners
• Facts, stats, details and need to know information about girls in tech